Whirlwind
by RaiLei
Summary: Rewritten, and Retitled. Wishing that Sora and Riku would return to the Destiny Islands, Kairi sets out to try and bring the two home, unaware of the chain of events her presence set off in the struggle between the darkness and the light.
1. 01: Castle Oblivion

Kairi sighed, closing her eyes as she felt the darkness encircle her, shrouding her in the everlasting void. She knew she shouldn't have run into the darkness to avoid Axel but . . . it felt like the _only_ thing she could have done at the time. Kairi allowed herself a small smile as she shook her head. She _was_ a Princess of Heart and here she was, running willingly into the darkness. Something was wrong with the picture, wasn't there?

She shook her head; she _couldn't _worry about that now.

She bit her lip as she wandered through the pressing darkness, what would happen if she never got out of here? What would become of Kingdom Hearts then? Kairi shook her head, she couldn't – wouldn't – think about it. She didn't want to think that this might be inviting darkness into her once more, making Sora's journey that much longer. She didn't want to think about . . .

….

….

….

Kairi sighed, this was taking too long. The darkness around her never seemed to end, making the red haired Princess of Heart short tempered. She didn't _want_ to be stranded in the darkness forever. She blinked, glancing momentarily behind her, the petite girl frowning as she couldn't see anything but the pressing darkness – _this is getting old_, she thought idly.

They couldn't keep her here _forever_ could they? Wherever this _here_ was . . .

As she glanced behind her, she balled her hands up into fists; her body felt like it was disconnected. She could feel it – there was someone else here in this . . . whatever this was . . . with her. She frowned, biting down on her lip; she didn't know who it was . . . they were _conviently_ staying back, away from her.

Her mind screamed out _Axel_ – she wouldn't have been surprised if it was right.

Her footsteps slowed as she started to grow tired, her legs heavy. She huffed, trying to brush her long bangs out of her eyes – but couldn't locate the offending strands, her body still feeling disconnected.

"About time, Princess . . ."

Kairi tensed up as she heard that voice – she'd been caught. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to keep calm, her body temperature rising. Not wanting to look small and intimatidated by the man standing behind her, she whirled around to face him; eyes narrowed as she balled her hands up into fists. "What do you want with me?"

A smirk graced his features. "You wish to see Sora again."

Kairi's eyes narrowed, a groan escaping her lips. "Do you know where Sora is?" She tapped her foot in annoyance, a frown marring her face.

"He will appear at the castle within time . . ." he trailed off, a smirk appearing on his features.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, stumbling backwards as she heard the rustle of the man's cloak as he approached her. She narrowed her eyes as she felt his gloved hand clasp around her wrist, dragging her towards him, regardless of her trying to push back.

"What castle?" She knew she was putting too much stock into believing he meant the Hallow Bastion castle. She frowned as he didn't answer but tugged her forward instead. "Where are you taking me?"

She huffed in the silence that followed, bringing a hand forward to brush her bangs out of her eyes. She frowned, letting out a groan of frustration as she couldn't seem to find the offending strands – she felt so _disconnected_ from her body.

"Don't make me say it again," she grumbled, pulling back on her arm. "Where _are_ you taking me!"

She heard the dark clad man groan, yanking on her arm again, making the Princess of Heart yelp. "We're going to the castle."

"The _Castle_?" she couldn't help the tone of confusion and sarcasm entering her tone. "Like the Disney Castle?"

Someone at the King's castle would _surely_ know where Sora was. However, she curled her nose up at the thought of the Hallow Bastion one.

"It's similar."

Her eyes narrowed at the chuckle he let out.

"Who _are_ you?"

Silence, then: "The _names_ Axel – got it memorized?"

Kairi nodded, offhandedly. "Another Castle . . . _just_ great; how many _are_ there?"

"Well, _Kairi_," Axel said, coming to a stop so suddenly Kairi walked into his back. "Welcome to _your_** new** home."

The red haired girl shook her head as she took the time to slip her arm out of Axel's grasp. Turning on her heel momentarily – she was getting a negative vibe from this guy – a plan forming in her mind to loose him, but her plan was short lived as Axel's hand came down tightly on her shoulder, whirling her around, bringing her to his side.

"Now, now, don't try _that_ Princess," he muttered darkly. "There was _worse_ people hanging out in the darkness then I am."

Kairi couldn't help the shudder that ran down her spine. She could tell from his tone that what he said was _true_.

And with that said; Axel pushed Kairi forward, shaking his head as he saw her stumble over her feet.

Falling out of the darkness, Kairi found herself on her knees. She let out a deep breath as she no longer felt the darkness pulling on her, trying to take her under once again. Grumbling incoherently to herself, she pushed her hair behind her ears as she looked around. She raised an eyebrow as a dirt path stretching out before her. Cerulean eyes followed the winding path to the Castle that seemed to tower overhead.

"What castle is that? It doesn't look like . . ."

Axel waved off her comment, grabbing her arm again. "Now, no more running off, Kairi."

"Don't make me say it again – what castle is this!" Kairi glared at him, trying to yank her arm away again with no luck. "Looks like the one at Hallow Bastion," she muttered under her breath.

The reaction she got was instant.

Axel stopped, yanking Kairi backwards. She glared at him as she brought her free arm to her shoulder – was he _trying_ to rip her arm off? His other arm came up, grabbing her other shoulder, holding her tightly at arms length. "How do _you_ know about the Hallow Bastion Castle?"

Kairi shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip, looking away from him. "I'm _not_ telling you. It's none of your business."

"Whatever," Axel said after a moments silence. "Secrets have a way of coming out whether you want it to or not."

Kairi just glared at him. "What's this Castle called then?"

"_Oblivion_," he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Kairi mumbled the name to herself, looking critically up at the White Castle. She could feel something dark coming from the castle she was being dragged towards. The white building was a ruse; the name showed the true nature of the castle . . .

"Why's it called that?"

She wasn't the only one who wanted answers.

Axel glanced sharply at the girl; she had a good perspective. He _might_ have to watch what he said around her. "The one who named suddenly left and we never bothered to change it."

_Some answer_, Kairi thought.

The Castle loomed above them now, and in a nonchalant fashion, Axel made his way up the small stairwell, pushing the ornate doors open with a creak that didn't suit the building. Kairi crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a sigh as she looked from the castle and Axel to the dark grass spanning out behind her; there was _hardly_ a point in trying to escape – Axel had proven it was futile. Grumbling to herself, she relegated herself to following him, her footsteps sounding against the immaculate cobbled steps.

Her breath caught, however, as she entered the Castle.

White spread out all around her; the floor a mixture of black and white tiles. Kairi couldn't help the amazement that must have crept onto her features, glancing around her. The Hallow Bastion Castle looked _nothing_ like this; this place wasn't run down, destroyed or invested in Heartless – that she knew of anyway. As for the Disney Castle, she really didn't know; none of them had seen the Castle yet. Her gaze stopped on Axel – his black trench coat seemed out of place in the white washed foyer.

She opened her mouth, closing it a couple seconds later as footsteps sounded, echoing from the other end of the hallway.

Kairi glanced at the stairwell – also white – at the other end of the foyer, forcing down the urge to roll her eyes as she saw another black trench coat. She watched with narrowed eyes as the man lazily walked down the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets. His blonde hair caught her eyes, making her think momentarily of Selphie and her gravity defying hair. She blinked, pausing as his sharp eyes caught her stare, narrowing his eyes at her before glancing at Axel as he came to a stop at the foot of the stairwell.

"Who's the girl?"

_Well, he sure gets to the point_, Kairi thought idly.

"She's looking for the Keyblade Master." Axel said shortly, his tone sharp.

"I see," the blonde said slowly, running a hand through his hair. "Well I –" he paused momentarily. "Never seen him."

"_No_ one's heard from him," Kairi said dejectedly, hardly missing the look Axel and given the newcomer.

The blonde nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow as he looked from Kairi to Axel, who shrugged. Rolling his eyes, grumbling to himself, he lazily made his way across the room, stopping in front of Kairi. "Now, now, don't look like that; why don't you tell me your name."

"Kairi."

The blonde grinned wildly, smirking over at Axel. "Well, I _never_ thought you'd find her – good catch," he let out a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I'm Demyx . . ."

"I'm _no_ one's catch," Kairi said, her voice monotone, her lips in a hard line. "I am _not_ your girl."

Axel let out a laugh, turning on his heel. "That's the spirit, Kairi. Demyx – come on already; and Kairi don't even think of leaving. Your Keyblade Master will be here soon."

Demyx made a face at Axel's back, before ruffling Kairi's hair. "See you later then."

"Yeah, later," Kairi said to his back, watching them.

She watched the two black cloaked men walk down the long corridor, past the stairwell Demyx had come down and around a corner at the end. Standing there in the foyer, curiosity got the better of her as she heard a door close somewhere around the corner. Crossing her arms over her chest, shaking her head and placing them on her hips instead, Kairi tapped her foot impatiently. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she frowned as she looked around the white foyer.

"How _boring_ . . ." she mumbled, looking around. "There _has_ to be something here . . . "

Nodding to herself, Kairi grinned wildly before moving away from the ornate door, further into the castle. _Sure_, she could leave, but . . . if she found out what was going on here before Sora came; she would _finally_ be able to help him instead of being a hindrance.

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Once around the corner, the pink clad girl out of sight, Demyx let out a snort, shaking his head. "Seriously Axel, _what_'s with the girl out there?"

Axel shrugged. "She's looking for the Keyblade Master, Sora – something we both have in common."

Demyx rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "You said that already," he said, his voice flat. "What is she _really_ doing here though."

Axel cast Demyx a look, his narrowed eyes piercing the blonde. "She occupies Sora's heart, as he occupies hers. As long as _we_ have the Princess of Heart, the Keyblade Master will not be able to do anything. With her safety in mind; he will not strike at us – the Keyblade Master will _fall_."

Demyx let out a laugh, shoving Axel from behind as he caught up to him. "I must say, I wouldn't have thought of that . . ."

"I _know_ that," Axel grumbled, starting up a smaller staircase, a black door at the other end.

"What?" Demyx yelled, balling his hands up into fists. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Axel shook his head, stopping at the top of the stairwell; hand on the doorknob as he glanced back at Demyx. "Figure it out," and with that, Axel opened the door, disappearing inside.

Demyx grumbled as the black door slammed shut behind Axel. He'd show Axel – the rest of the Organization as well; he _wasn't_ the weak link. Shaking his head, he reached back for his coat's hood, covering up his blonde locks. His black boots echoed through the empty hallway as he quickly assented the small stairwell, pushing the door open as he slumped inside.

As the door shut behind him, he found himself encased in complete darkness. He sighed, allowing the darkness to move around him, pushing and pulling at his skin. Blinking a couple times, he glanced through the darkness, making his way through the thick darkness. This was _always_ the worst part; it tended to make him feel sluggish, like walking through molasses. He smirked as he saw the darkness start to thin slightly, white starting to peep though the darkness. Moments later, he found himself in a white circular room, white chairs reaching up to the high ceiling with the remaining members of the Organization waiting.

"You failed _again_, Demyx." A voice drawled as Demyx made his presence known, emerging from one of his dark portals to reach the high chair.

Demyx sighed, resting his chin on his palm, drumming his fingers on the opposite chair arm. "Xigbar, you old fool, like you could have done any better. You're what, _seventy_ by now?"

Xigbar waved the comment aside, a smirk on his features. "A Hallow Bastion ex-mercenary who doesn't know his own memories –"

"Enough!" Another voice rang out, more authorative then the others. "We now know what the Keyblade Master is trying to accomplish out there and the Superior has designed a plan to derail the boy once more."

"It's about time," a bored voice muttered, his eyes narrowed and his hood resting against his shoulders.

"The Superior has also confirmed the existence of another Keyblade Bearer of the Light, assumed to be located in the _quaint_ village of Twilight Town, Axel," the man's harsh eyes locking onto Axel's frame. "You are to head there immediately and eliminate him before he locates the others," – Axel nodded in confirmation, slumping back in his chair – "Saix, you will head to Hallow Bastion and make up for Demyx's mistake and once you locate Sora, you are to _kill_ him – and anyone else who gets in the way – immediately."

"What? Why _him_?" Demyx cut in, slamming his fist into his armrest.

"You're incompetent."

Demyx glared over at Saix, throwing his hood down in anger. "You're one to talk, Saix," he yelled, his voice getting darker as he spoke. He narrowed his eyes, his lips curling up into a smirk as his eyes flickered to the scar adorning the other man's forehead. "If I remember correctly; you got that scar from –"

"Shut up!" Saix yelled, his anger getting the better of him as he called forth his Broadsword, thrusting in angrily in Demyx's direction. "I'll kill you, you know I will."

Demyx shrugged off the icy tone, looking blankly at the angry Saix; no doubt that would boil his blood even more. "Whatever – anyway, where am I going?"

"Nowhere."

Demyx blinked, raising an eyebrow as he tore his gaze away from Saix to the black cloaked man sitting higher the others. "What the hell do you mean _nowhere_?"

"Someone will need to watch over the Princess of Heart," he said evenly. "You failed with the Keyblade Bearer, perhaps you'll do better with the Princess."

"A babysitter?" Demyx grumbled, slumping back in his chair, drumming his fingers against the armrest again. "Why the hell _does_ she need someone watching her anyway; not like you can actually –"

"If Namine could do it; I have no doubt that she could figure it out within time," the voice rebutted, shaking their head. "Moving on; I will be heading to the _Fabled Countryside_ to persuade the Beast by using _his_ Princess of Heart. He is supposed to be close to the Keyblade Master. Luxord, you will be heading to Port Royal; Sora is said to have been seen there – Captain Barbossa is awaiting your arrival. While Saix, you will head to the Underworld, we have unfinished business there, Hades will fill you."

The cloaked man looked minutely at the other cloaked figures, the figures nodding in turn as his stare pierced them. Demyx nodded, letting out a sigh (as if they _actually_ had a choice in the matter) frowning as he slumped further down into his chair.

Just great, he had to look after _Kairi_ – the Princess of Heart, the one every side wanted to get their hands on.

Great, _just_ **great** . . .

At least on the plus side; Kairi was good looking.

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Kairi couldn't help but hum to herself, the silence of the large foyer finally starting to get on her nerves. Clasping her hands behind her back, her footsteps echoing against the white tiles underfoot, she couldn't help but feel curious at the idea of the large castle before her.

What _was_ going on here and what were they up to – could they _really_ lead her to Sora? "Sora . . ." she mumbled, biting down on her bottom lip. "Where are you?"

She frowned, hardly paying any attention to what was before her as she started down the corridor, her thoughts wrapped up in the brown haired male she hadn't seen for years. She suspected that she'd still recognize him, as if she could _ever_ forget him. Kairi shook her head at the thought; she _had_ forgotten about Sora – but that was beside the point. But, would _he_ recognize her? She thought she had changed a lot; longer hair, different clothes . . . different _everything_!

She stopped, her head shooting up as her purple shoes hit something solid before her. Balling her hands up before her as she took a defensive pose, her hands dropped just as instantly as she saw the small stairwell – of about ten five steps, she figured – with a black door waiting at the other hand. Raising an eyebrow, she couldn't help the curiosity that bubbled up in her; the black door situated between twisted pillars reaching high up to the ceiling, complete whiteness surrounding it.

Before she knew what was going on, Kairi found herself ascending the staircase, stopping in front of the black door.

Kairi couldn't help a shiver that escaped down her spine. She wasn't sure how to explain it; but she just _knew_ that on the other side of that door was darkness; the darkness she had been running from her entire life. "Not this again," she muttered, despair wracking her tone. She shook her head, backing up, her mind trying to form an escape plan already. "I _refuse_ to go through this again!"

As quick as she had got there, Kairi turned around on her heel, making her way quickly down the stairwell. Her footsteps echoed rapidly against the tiled floor as her walk turned into a run. She couldn't explain it just yet, but she _knew_ that she had to get out of here. She had been tricked; they weren't going to help her find Sora – scratch that, she _knew_ they were going to bring Sora here . . . but at what cost?

She didn't want to know.

Sora had _already_ gone through so much; she wasn't going to put **more** on him . . .

Her heart hammering, half way down the corridor, she stopped mid step as she heard a creak of a door. Slowly – looking like a deer in the headlights, she thought – she froze as the black door opened, the darkness swirling around inside. Forcing down a shudder, Kairi turned on her heel, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. Placing a smile on her lips, clasping her hands behind her back again, Kairi glanced back to the door once more, bangs falling into her eyes. Her eyes narrowed minutely as she noticed Demyx exit through the doorway, his back to her.

_Time to put those drama classes mom gave me to use_, she thought idly as Demyx turned around, storming down the stairwell.

Demyx huffed, balling his hands into fists before shoving them into his pockets. He grumbled as his bangs fell into his eyes, angrily pushing the bangs away before returning his hand to his pocket. His footsteps echoed against the tiles, his eyes trained on the floor beneath him. His mind a mile away, he didn't notice Kairi standing to the side of the corridor, eyebrows raised. It wasn't until he heard him name, a hand falling on his shoulders did he stop.

He blinked as he saw Kairi standing beside him, an eyebrow raised. His harsh response died on his lips, his features turning a touch softer as he looked at the red haired girl before him. "What're you doing here, Kairi?"

"Looking around, I was bored," she said, shrugging the comment away, knocking Demyx's arm off her shoulder in the process.

Only Sora and Riku – her _friends_ – did that to her; not someone wishing to use her bait.

Demyx nodded, glancing warily in Kairi's direction. "Find anything interesting?" he asked when she said nothing.

"Eh, hardly," she said offhandedly, turning the corner. "You have _way_ to much white going on here."

Demyx let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Perhaps you're right," he sighed an idea coming to mind; he if _had_ to babysit her, at least he could make it more interesting. "So then, where are you from, Kairi?"

"The Destiny Islands," Kairi said after a long pause.

What else was she supposed to tell him? That was where Axel had found her anyway – saying _anything_ else would just prove that she was trying to hide something from them. And saying **anything** about Hallow Bastion was out of the question; too many awkward questions and her part in the ordeal two years ago would come into play . . . _no_, it was better they didn't know.

She wasn't going to be their tool; it was just going to take _longer_ to see Sora now.

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Axel watched with narrowed eyes as he saw Kairi waiting at the end of the corridor, approaching Demyx. A frown appeared on his features as he saw the girl reach out for Demyx's shoulder, the blonde laughing at something she had said. He let out a groan as he heard Kairi mention the Destiny Islands as they rounded the corner. He couldn't help but shake his head, without a doubt, Demyx would be the one to foil their plans. He might have been left to look after Kairi . . . but the Princess of Heart seemed to be more cunning then expected – how long would it be until she had Demyx wrapped around her fingers?

Descending the short staircase, he sighed, feeling another presence behind him. "Why'd you choose him, Xaldin?"

"He's the closest to her age," he said shortly, glancing briefly at the red head as she turned the corner. "The Superior has taken an interest in her and is planning to plunge her slowly into the darkness. With her pure heart, she is currently out of our reach; but if the Princess of Heart succumbs to darkness once again; imagine what would happen to the Keyblade Master then. Currently, she is _guarded_ by the light, but if we manage to break those barriers . . ." he trailed off, a smirk appearing on his features. "If she is lost and enveloped by the pressing darkness, it will cause _Sora_ immense destruction."

Axel let out a short laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. "And _how_ long will that take?"

"That will all depend on what Demyx does with her and how strong her barriers are. However," – here, Xaldin smirk grew slightly, shaking his head minutely. "The Princess of Heart is weak at the moment. She is torn in wonder about the boy she once loved – has he _forgotten_ her? She wonders. Thoughts like that make her uncertain about what is before her."

Axel nodded, bringing out a hand before him, a pool of darkness slowly appearing. "So, I suppose I'm to head off and destroy this _second_ Keyblade Wielder that's made his presence known."

Xaldin nodded in response, turning on his heel, his large stride carrying him away from Axel. Shaking his head, Axel turned his attention to the darkness before him, stepping into it. He blinked, unfazed as his vision blurred momentarily as the white corridor behind him seemed to warp before being eclipsed by the darkness. He thoughts whirling about what had taken place, of Kairi's place in all this mess and what was before him, it wasn't long before he stepped out of the darkness, his eyes narrowing as the sun shining above his head beat down on him.

He heard the portal close up behind him as he cast a glance around him.

Brown.

As far as he could see, _everything_ was brown.

Sighing with a shake of his head, Axel headed into the winding town below him, his mind focused now.

This was the place.

_He_ was here.

. . . _**Roxas**_ . . .

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A/N –

This story needed an update.

The old script was **bad** and needed a facelift.

02/05/09

AN2: Sorry for all the 1's, their supposed to be breakers between the different POVs. got rid of the ones I had in there before.


	2. 02: Twilight Paths

A Street light flickered.

The rays of the sun peaked through the clouds.

Thin shadows moved across the town's intricate design.

The street lights flickered once more before turning off.

The intricate streets were quiet and empty; the large bell tower in the middle of the town ringing eight o'clock.

On the other side of town in a dark bedroom, a groan sounded. It was time to get up.

"It's _too_ early," they muttered. It was summer vacation – who got up _this_ early?

A loud knock sounded on his door (which he proceeded to throw the cover over his head) before it was thrown open, light from the hallway pouring into his room. "Time to get up, sleepyhead!"

He didn't have to look around to know who it was, or that they were most likely rocking back on their heels, a smirk on their face. "Don't even think about it, Olette."

"How'd you _know_, Roxas?" she said, dropping down on the edge of his bed.

Roxas laughed, shaking his head, pushing the covers off his head. "You're the _only_ one who knocks, Olette – the others just open the door."

Olette shrugged, letting out a laugh. "Anyway, Hayner and Pence beat you again. They're _already_ up and waiting at the hideout. But, like _always_, you slept in –"

"It's _summer_," he stressed, pushing Olette slightly. "We don't have to get up early."

Olette smiled at him, standing up. "Today's the start of the Struggle Tournament."

The reaction she got was instant. Roxas froze at her words, his eyes widening before he shook the thought off, throwing the covers off his bed, flying out of it in a flail of limbs. "Damn it, how could I have forgotten? When does it start?" he almost yelled, pulling open a dresser drawer, throwing its contents on the floor.

Olette shook her head, turning on her heel for the door. "Nine thirty," she stopped in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Oh, your mom said your papers are here, she didn't want you to forget . . . _again_."

Roxas groaned as the door shut behind Olette. Today just _wasn't_ his day.

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The Twilight Tower was situated in the middle of town, looming over the rest of the town, its bell ringing every hour.

But, one of the well kept secrets was that _behind_ the clock face, there was quiet a big alcove to serve as a small hideout.

They had found the place simply by accident. Hayner, when facing the boredom of summer alone, had come across a similar coloured door on the side of the towering building. His curiosity getting the better of him, he had opened the door, taking a quick look around. From what he had seen, he had suspected that it must have been a _home_ for whoever looked over the ringing of the bell before the town got the clock going electronically.

After showing it to the rest of his ragtag group, cleaning the place up of spider webs and dust and adding a sparse amount of old unwanted seating, they had eventually dubbed it as their hideout – no matter _how_ many times Seifer and his gang had tried to take it from them.

"How long to you think Roxas'll be this time?" Hayner sighed, flopping down on an overturned crate, a dart in hand.

"Probably a while," Olette commented, staring out the small window as Hayner threw the dart. "He was _still_ in bed."

Hayner smirked, looking from the small dart board to Olette. "I bet you liked that."

Pence shook his head, letting out a tiny laugh. Bugging Olette was the easiest way to pass the time. "We _all_ know how you get . . ."

Olette scoffed, placing her arms on her hips. "I can't believe you said that; I have _no_ idea what you mean."

Hayner shrugged. "You keep telling yourself that."

Olette couldn't help it as her face flared up and Pence and Hayner started laughing. "You're _so_ immature!"

"We all know that – but that's why you love us," came Roxas's voice, his skateboard under his arm. "What'd they do this time?"

Olette's response died on her lips – like she was going to tell him that. "Just wondering when you'd get here."

"You need to set your alarm clock," Hayner said, rolling his eyes. "I mean seriously, if Olette hadn't come by, you'd still be sleeping. If we had _lost_ the tournament because of you . . ."

"You'd be _dead_," Pence laughed.

"You're just jealous because I have a job and munny," he said, tossing his skateboard in Hayner's direction. "But, I see you were tormenting Olette again," here, he shook his head, tossing his arm around Olette's shoulders as he sat down beside her. "How could you do that without me, that's just mean."

"Roxas!" Olette whined, pushing him away from her. "Don't say that."

Hayner grinned, glancing at Pence who nodded with a smirk. Olette narrowed her eyes at the two's exchange – something Roxas seemed to have missed – and as she moved to grab the two, Pence brought his camera up, taking a picture.

Olette's face went red, which made Hayner break out laughing. "Nice one Pence – _totally_ one for the books!"

"What was that for?" Roxas grumbled, grabbing his skateboard back.

Hayner shrugged. "Anyway, about this Struggle Tournament; this year we have to cream Seifer and his gang. They're the only one's standing in our way, if we beat them, we get the trophy."

"I want to go against Fuujin," Olette chirped. "There's no way I'm brawling against Seifer or Raijin!" she curled her nose up. "They're _all_yours."

"Fine by me," Hayner said, leaning back on his palms. "Guys can't fight girls anyway."

"Like she'd care about that," Roxas muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You're probably right; but I want to take down Seifer; everybody knows it's the only fair time I can hit the jerk."

Roxas sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wanted to fight him – he's been bugging me _all_ week."

"Too bad man," Hayner shrugged. "You can take him in the second round. Mom's not coming to the competition, so its open season."

Olette rolled her eyes at the huge grin on Hayner's face and way he smacked his fist into his palm. "What is it with you guys always beating each other up?"

"Feh, if you had a sibling, you'd feel the same way," Hayner countered.

"No, we'd have fun," she commented, shaking her head.

". . . and if you had _Fuujin_ as a sister?"

Olette paused. "Touché."

Hayner grinned, pushing himself off the crate. "I knew you'd see it my way," Olette frowned, narrowing her eyes as Hayner messed her hair up. "Now, all that leaves is Raijin and Vivi and Pence and Roxas . . . take your pick guys."

"I don't want to fight Vivi . . . I mean, _seriously_, what is under that hat of his? It figures that why he hangs out with your brother, Hayner."

"So, you want Raijin, then?" Roxas said, glancing at Pence.

"He might have brawn, but not much brain."

Roxas let out a laugh. "So, I'm stuck with Vivi," he shrugged. "At least I'm taller then he is."

The four laughed. "Good luck then, Roxas. The kid may be short, but he's damn agile. You know, that could actually be an _advantage_ for him . . ."

"I can handle whatever that pint sized wizard can dish out."

Olette shook her head. "Well, since that's figured out, we just got to figure out how to win and . . ." Olette glanced down at her watch. "Oh my gosh; we're going to be late!"

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"You know, I have a question," Kairi said, bored by white floor after white floor. "Why do you all wear black, it's _so_ boring."

Demyx shook his head; Kairi and her questions! Pausing momentarily, trying to gather his thoughts, he fidgeted under Kairi's stare. Running a hand over his head, he let out a sigh before glancing back at Kairi. "No real reason, I suppose. The Ruler of Castle Oblivion liked the colour; I suppose it's a habit."

Kairi nodded. "But, he died." How like Kairi to straight out ask these questions. He had to be careful what he said. "So, why don't you change it then?"

"Marluxia . . . he, well, we're used to it."

_Marluxia_ . . . he had it coming; trying to gain his own following to take down the Superior, how _stupid_ could he have been. You _couldn't_ go against the Superior and live to tell the tale. Without a doubt; the title had gone to Marluxia's head, which had led himself and Larxene to their own destruction.

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "So . . . what happened to him?" She wasn't even going to _try_ pronouncing his name.

Demyx shook his head, trying to hide the grin that threatened to appear on his face. If Kairi _knew_ what Sora had done here . . . she would hardly be fascinated by him anymore. "He was killed by someone; some outsider," he sighed, cursing himself inwardly; he wasn't able to tell her. "Only those of high rank know who it actually was."

Kairi nodded slowly. "So, what rank are you?"

"Nine."

Kairi frowned; so far she'd only seen Axel and Demyx . . . "How many of you guys are there?"

Demyx grinned, reaching forward, ruffling Kairi's hair, earning a grumble from the girl. Obliviously, she was smarter then the _damsel in distress _Princess she'd been classified as. "There were thirteen; but five died last year," he said offhandedly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Five!" Kairi shrieked, her eyes widening, whirling around on her heel to face him. "That's so many – _who _could do something like that, murdering in cold blood."

Demyx sighed, gripping Kairi's shoulder, turning her around again. "You're too pretty to worry about causalities of war."

Kairi snorted, pushing her hair back as she cast a patronizing look at him. "I've seen my share of a war too, I'll have you know."

Of course he knew about Kairi's part in the war two years ago. Who here _didn't_ know that she was a Princess of Heart, had lost her heart to darkness and had helped weaken the seal on Kingdom Hearts. How else would she have been able to steal the Keyblade Master's heart?

"You mean on your Island?" he said, laughing. "What'd you fight over; a boy?"

Kairi shook her head, pivoting out of his grasp, clasping her hands behind her back. "No, I already _had_ a boyfriend."

Demyx didn't know why he felt a sense of resentment, a frown appearing on his face at Kairi's words. "So, what did you fight over then?"

Silence, then; "Can you keep a secret?" Demyx nodded, taking in her narrowed eyes; calculating his movements, she suspected. "If you know about Sora, then, you _must_ know about the incident from two years ago – about the Princess's of Heart and the failed attempt to open Kingdom Hearts?" Demyx nodded, so _that_ was what Kairi was going to tell him. Well, that was going to make this whole _pretending_ thing so much easier. Kairi shook her head, her voice failing her slightly. "I was a Princess of Heart – the Hallow Bastion Princess, but I wasn't even _aware_ of that; I had been hidden away on the Destiny Islands so that it would never happen . . . but, it didn't matter."

She had still lost her heart to the darkness.

She had helped break the seal of Kingdom Hearts.

_And_, she had fallen in love with the Keyblade Master, giving him his heart.

After all that, hiding her away did absolutely nothing.

"That's an _interesting_ story," he said at length.

Well, that filled in the last remaining clues.

"It was," Kairi nodded; her tone wistful. "It was complicated, but I wouldn't trade the memory for anything."

_You already did once_, Demyx thought idly. "That's good; remember your past; keep a good hold on it, you hear me?"

Kairi nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow. "I will, you too." Was it just her, or had she seen a wistful look on Demyx's face?

Picking up their pace again, the stairs echoing underneath their feet, Kairi couldn't help but frown. Had she said too much? She had never told Selphie about what had happened when the Island disappeared; although, according to Selphie, Kairi had been found on the Island the day after the major storm. The only thing she could think of was that, no time had past; or she had gone _back_ in time, she really didn't know. But, Selphie wouldn't have believed her anyway.

Shaking her head, she cast a glance at Demyx, eyeing his black clothes. She couldn't explain why, but she felt uneasy with him; she had a feeling he was hiding something important from her. She rolled her eyes as they entered _another_ white floor; biting down on her lip. She could vaguely remember something Belle had told her; that being a Princess of Heart gave her the ability to see the darkness in those around her.

Selphie had hardly any darkness in her; the hyper brunette to immature to stay on one emotion longer then a couple seconds. Tidus and Wakka's seemed to come and go, depending on the game they were planning, and whatever it was boys did. She didn't know and _didn't_ really want to. But from Demyx . . . she could hardly find any light radiating from him.

"Say, why do you wear those gloves all the time?"

Demyx narrowed his eyes at her; Axel had already told him about Kairi's little _gift_ hours ago. "I just like the feel of leather," he said offhandedly.

Kairi wasn't going to trick him.

"Like a comfort thing, then?" she said, shrugging the comment aside. She could play this game too.

"I guess," Demyx said, laughing slightly. "So, tell me more about this ordeal from two years ago."

Kairi's eyes narrowed; Demyx was trying to switch the subject and he _wasn't_ good at it. "Fine, but I want to know about a year ago."

Demyx shook his head. "But, you're going first; end of story."

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Axel sighed; his footsteps echoing against the brown slabs beneath him. He narrowed his eyes as the sun peeked around the clouds, beating down on him. He grumbled under his breath, it would _figure_ it would have to be a sunny, hot morning. "How quaint," he muttered, exiting the small alleyway, the town square bustling with people as the large clock tower tolled overhead.

Sighing, he glanced at the people who past by him, hardly paying the man leaning against the wall any attention. He frowned; none of these people seemed like the type to wield a Keyblade, he could sense an even amount of light and darkness within the residents. Shaking his head, he pushed himself away from the wall – his hands itching to grab his Chakram Wheels – but forced them into fists, making his way purposely through the throng of people.

"Where would our little Keyblade Wielder be?" he muttered to himself, glancing momentarily at the people who past by.

"Seifer!" Axel turned, seeing a silver haired girl stalking through the crowd; her piercing eyes narrowed. "Fighting _that_ girl?"

"Can it, Fuujin," a blonde haired male grunted, waving his hand vaguely at the angry teen. "She's their only girl – we're not fighting her."

"_Cakewalk_, y'know" Raijin mocked, pushing her aside.

Fuujin glared at him, balling her hands up into fists. Seifer shook his head, rolling his eyes at the brawny teen. "Olette's weak anyway, she'll fold in no time. It's not like they're going to get past the first round, anyway."

Fuujin frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. ". . . cakewalk."

"Exactly!" Seifer said, nodding. "Figures they'd be friends with my _brother_. Roxas and Hayner are their toughest links; we'll trounce them. You can take down Setzer when we get there."

He shook his head as he saw Fuujin smirk; a plan forming in her mind no doubt. Raijin just shook his head, ignoring the silver haired girl. "Where's Vivi?"

Axel's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the three teens. Changing his pace, he followed after the three teens – noticing the people tended to move aside for them – his eyes staring intently at them as they disappeared down another small alleyway. What was _with_ this town and all the alleyways?

"I still don't get why you want to fight him, y'know?" Raijin said, cracking his knuckles. "You've wanted to pound Roxas for ages, y'know?"

Seifer smirked, narrowing his eyes as the sun from the sandlot beat down on them. "Hayner just pisses me off and mom _can't_ stop me from beating him to a pulp. I'll cream Roxas later." Fuujin shook her head, slumping down on the wooden bench, staring blankly ahead; the Struggle Tournament's arena getting set up. Raijin flexed his muscles, agreeing with Seifer's comment; they could get the other blonde later on. "Can we _help_ you?"

Axel had stopped a couple steps behind them; his eyes staring intently at them. He held back a smirk as Seifer caught sight of him, the blonde's face darkening slightly. Raijin raised an eyebrow, his hands balling into fists at his side as he glanced at Axel. Fuujin, however, just looked over her shoulders at him, her face blank as she stared at him.

"I overheard you mention Roxas," he said, taking a step toward the trio. "Where is he?"

Fuujin rolled her eyes, picking herself off the bench, moving to Seifer's other side, her eyes narrowed. "What'd you want him for?" Seifer barked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We're old rivals," Axel commented, shrugging. "It's about time we settled the score."

"Get in line," Seifer said, turning on his heel. "We're taking him down first."

"I don't care," Axel commented, his tone bored. "Do you _know_ where he is or not?"

"Try the _Tower_," Seifer said, walking away. "But, we're still taking him down."

Axel glanced over his shoulder at the looming clock tower, sighing. Great; he'd just come from there. "So, care to tell me what this Struggle thing is then?" he said, winking in Fuujin's direction.

The silver haired girl frowned, balling her hands into fists, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. She didn't answer him though, turning her back on him again. Axel sighed, running a hand through his hair. Whatever, he guessed it _didn't_ really matter anyway. Squinting, he glanced up at the tower, balling his hands into fists.

"It's a fight match," came Seifer's sharp voice. "Don't you _kill_ him though, newcomer – we have unfinished business."

Axel smirked, glancing from the retreating trio to the looming tower.

Twilight Town . . .

The Struggle Match . . .

It was **all **valuable information.

"Now to settle this score, Roxas," he shook his head, heading back into the alleyway, his eyes trained on the tall tower. "You _can't_ run."

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Pence flopped down on the bench his team occupied, out of breath as he tried to fix his headband. He frowned, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Hey Pence," Olette hissed, leaning across Hayner's legs, tapping him. "I thought you said that Raijin was all brawn and no brain. What _happened_ out there?"

Pence rolled his eyes, leaning back on his palm. Frowning, he looked up at the bright sun, shaking his head. "Alright, so I was wrong; it was a _bad_ strategy! But," he let out a laugh, leaning conspiriously towards Olette. "I didn't see you receive a victory either. Fuujin, got you in what – _three_ minutes?"

Olette huffed, blushed and looked away. "Did you _really_ think I could beat her?" she shook her head, looking across the arena at the silver haired girl. "She _trains _with Seifer and Raijin, it'd be suicide to even _try_ and beat her."

"What?" Hayner exclaimed, dropping an arm around Olette, dragging her close to him. "Does that mean you didn't try?"

"I – I did!" Olette yelled, pushing Hayner away from her, indignant.

Hayner sighed, dropping his arm to his side. "Anyway, it's _all_ up to you, Roxas," he smirked, leaning around Olette to see the blonde. "If you don't beat him, we're out of the tournament. We're counting on you."

"Right, so _no_ pressure," Pence said with a shrug.

"Yeah . . . real good confidence booster," Roxas muttered, shooting the other two boys a withering look.

"Well, that's a great thing to tell him!" Olette said, throwing her hands up into the air, shoving Hayner with her shoulder. "Well, at least _tie_ with Vivi, then we're safe for the moment. Leave it to Hayner – you go take down Seifer and get us our win."

"I plan too," Hayner said idly, not paying attention.

"If we don't win, we can just beat them in a street brawl later," Olette said, looking from Hayner to Roxas. "Just ignore Hayner, do your best!"

"You're _always_ the inspirational one," Roxas said, shaking his head, shoving her playfully.

"Well, someone has to do it," she smiled.

"We'll make it to the second group for sure," Roxas commented, pushing himself up from the bench. "I'll see you guys later then." He flashed the three of them a thumbs up before turning, heading for the arena; Vivi already waiting there.

"What'd you tell him _that_ for," Hayner grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Olette. "We _need_ that title – street brawls aren't worth anything."

Olette nodded, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. "I _know_ that, but seriously, do you think Roxas will lose now?"

Hayner sighed; leaning back on his palms. "You're such a smarty pants," he grumbled.

Pence laughed, bringing his camera up, snapping a photo. Hayner _never_ admitted he was wrong.

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Roxas sighed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he climbed up the stairs, unto the arena's floor. He glanced at Vivi, the pint sized wizard standing in the opposite corner, his large hat hiding his face from view. Hmm, maybe he should _try_ and knock Vivi's hat off . . . he shook his head. He had to focus; this was ridding _all_ on him, as Hayner liked to say.

"Ready?" The Struggle Tournament's coordinator asked. Roxas nodded, swinging his foam weapon around experimentally. He noticed Vivi nod, holding his weapon loosely. "Roxas versus Vivi; round four – GO!"

Roxas gripped his weapon tighter, watching Vivi with calculating eyes. Vivi _wasn't_ going to beat him here – Seifer wasn't going to hold this over them. He watched Vivi intently, looking for the smallest movement to give him away. After many moments had past; Vivi still hadn't moved, and the crowd – alongside Roxas – was getting impatient.

_This is getting old fast_, Roxas thought idly.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Vivi's small form, Roxas shifted his weight, quickly moving forward, weapon outstretched. However, underneath this hat, Vivi let out a smirk and before Roxas hit him, he raised his magical rod; yelling _Stopra_.

Roxas immediately stopped, as did the other's surrounding the area. As the sandlot became eerily quiet, Roxas raised an eyebrow, looking around him in confusion. He shook his head, looking back at Vivi; that was _one_ powerful Stopra spell; he'd never seen one like that before.

"_What's_ going on here?"

Dropping his stance, Roxas held his weapon loosely. The fact that even Vivi was frozen; made him wonder; the caster was always free of the effects. He frowned, turning around on his heel; locating his friends behind him. He smiled as he saw Olette, standing up, obliviously cheering while Hayner and Pence were leaning over a tally sheet for the competition.

"What did you _do_ Vivi?"

He frowned remembering Vivi froze too. Sighing, he glanced behind him, rolling his eyes. Seifer was leaning against the wall, holding his foam bat tightly. Fuujin was glaring at Raijin, pointing angrily at something. When wasn't the silver haired girl angry though? While Raijin just leaned back on the bench, probably trying to tune out the ranting girl.

"He can't hear you," another voice broke in, breaking the silence. "No one can hear you here."

Roxas didn't understand why he felt a shudder run down his spine as he heard the low, almost menacing voice. Tightening his grip on his weapon, Roxas slowly turned around on his heel, eyes narrowed. It didn't take him long to find the owner of the voice; dressed completely in black with flaming red hair, the man stood behind the bench his friends occupied.

"Who are you?" he shouted, his voice guarded. "What did you do to them?"

The man merely shrugged, waving the question away. Slowly, he pushed himself away from the wall, passing the bench, glancing at Olette as he past her by. Roxas's eyes narrowed, inwardly cursing the man. He backed up a couple steps as the man ascended the stairs, stopping on the Stuggle's padded flooring. "Those are _all_ unimportant questions, Roxas."

Roxas faltered. "How do you _know_ me?"

". . . unimportant," he said after a moments silence.

Roxas backed away again as the man came closer still, fixing his grip on his bat as it started to slip slightly. "Who are you?" He hated how their voices echoed here.

His eyes narrowed as the man smirked at him; stretching his arms out beside him, muttering something. Roxas raised an eyebrow at his actions, his mind racing a mile a minute; the Stopra spell _should_ stop soon – but considering his luck; not soon enough. Roxas paused, his eyes widening slightly as a wind suddenly gushed through the sandlot – Roxas raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly, the Stopra spell _must_ be wearing off.

_Scratch that_, he thought seconds later.

His footing slipped as the wind grew stronger, pulling him closer to the cloaked man. Then, the wind ended as quickly as it started; two wheels now in the cloaked man's hand. "The name's Axel," he smirked, glancing again at the bewildered blonde. "And this, _this_ is the end of the line; Roxas."

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02/09/09


	3. 03: Voices

Kairi sighed, flopping down on the bed in the room Demyx had given her. The novelty of being in Castle Oblivion was starting to wear off; after seeing at least seven floors of pure white _and_ then being thrown into a white covered room, she was bored. She drummed her fingers on the bed covers, swinging her legs back and forth idly. She leaned her head back, but upon finding the ceiling boring as well, closed her eyes, dropping heavily onto the bed.

Demyx had told her that the room had once belonged to another girl, she didn't bother catching the name; the girl had _died_ last year. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought that; she didn't know _what_ she thought of sleeping in a dead girl's room. Her hair fanned out around her, her red hair striking against the sheets, she let her mind wander, biting down on her lip.

She couldn't believe she had told Demyx the story about the ordeal in Hallow Bastion and that she _was_ a Princess of Heart. That she got kidnapped by Ansem, but managed to hide her heart away beforehand. She frowned; she had _sworn_ she'd seen Demyx's face darken at the mention of Ansem. She tried bringing it up afterwards; but Demyx had shrugged it off, saying it wasn't important.

Kairi sighed; Demyx's emotions disappeared as quickly as they appeared. She let out a groan; running a hand over her eyes. "Selphie, you were _wrong_."

The perky brunette had said multiple times that she was good at reading people. But Demyx . . . it was as if there was a wall between them; she couldn't read the blonde whatsoever.

Her intuition told her that he was hiding something; she could see it in his eyes.

"At least it beats staring at the ocean everyday," she mumbled, thinking back to the Islands. "If only I knew their secrets," she muttered, her hands balling up into fists as she moved to sit up on the bed. "Then I could _find_ you so much quicker."

She brought her legs up onto the bed, dropping her chin onto them.

It had been two years since she had been torn away from Sora; she was starting to miss his goofy personality and the way his smile always cheered up her day . . . she sighed; burrowing her face into her knees.

She _missed_ Sora, even though she tried to hide it, she wanted the Keyblade Master back.

In the meantime, she would have to make do with the secrets winding their way around her and _what_ it was these people wanted from Sora . . .

"I hope you're alright out there," she mumbled, shaking her head.

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Roxas's eyes narrowed, watching Axel intently, his eyes moving to the Chakram's he'd just called forth. Roxas couldn't help but frown; his _foam bat_ was going to do **nothing**. "What do you want here?"

Axel shook his head, a smirk on his features. "I just told you; you're not leaving here alive."

Roxas was silent for a while, inwardly cursing himself. His hands were shaking, his grip on the weapon slipping from his sweaty hands and there was no doubt this escaped Axel's sight. "Why?" he said, gaining composure.

Axel let out a laugh, crossing the remaining distance between them; stopping a couple feet before him. "We can't _exactly_ let the second Wielder escape our grasp as well," Axel paused. "Let's just leave it at one for now."

"Wielder?" Roxas echoed, his eyebrows coming together. What the _hell_ was that?

"Don't play dumb with me," Axel said, his voice dead. "We _know_ that it's you; Sora's had contact with you somehow. But, getting you out of the way will bring Sora out of hiding."

"Sora?" Who was that? "Go after him then."

"Sora is clever, we cannot find him; only those who're close to him." Was it just his imagination, or did he see Axel smirk? "But, we found you and we don't want you and Sora to meet again."

"What . . .?"

Roxas's head was spinning, what Axel said made no sense whatsoever. He had _no_ idea who this Sora person was, or what a Keyblade was – was this some kind of joke? He shook his head, confused. This _had_ to be a dream, right?

Axel narrowed his eyes as he glanced down at Roxas; the resemblance to Sora was too uncanny. It didn't make sense though; the kid looked similar to Sora, but didn't seem to know who that was. Unless . . . "Maybe you've been in contact with the memory witch; Namine?"

Sora? Namine? A Keyblade Wielder and a Memory changing witch – this was _all_ too much.

"Now, let's get this little _Struggle_ match out of the way, huh?"

Roxas's head snapped up at the statement, narrowing his eyes. Changing his grip on the foam bat, his hands still sweaty, he shook his head. Calculating his odds, he wasn't going to stand a chance. Getting into his stance, his eyes never leaving Axel's frame, he found his concentration blown out of the water. Axel smirked at Roxas as he stretched his arms out, a Chakram in each hand. Raising an eyebrow, Roxas watched as the Chakrams started to turn on their own, taking on a fiery tone. He jumped as the weapons ignited and moments later, the flames shot out, encircling the two.

"Don't tell me it's too _hot_ for you," Axel called, looking intently at the bewildered blonde.

Roxas blinked; the sudden rise – and heat – on the flames catching him off guard. This . . . this _definitely_ wasn't going to work in his favour. His mind reeled as he looked at Axel, how on earth was he supposed to win this? No, his _weapon_ was going to go up in flames and he was going to die – so much for his teenage years. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Axel bring his Chakram wheels back, letting them go, the two flying through the hot air towards him.

However, before the Chakram's hit him; a bright light appeared, surrounding Roxas. The blonde jumped, letting go of his foam bat to bring his hands to his eyes. Remembering Axel, his face paled – he'd _dropped_ his weapon – he blinked, quickly looking around him; the red haired man nowhere to be seen. The flames had disappeared, which Roxas was thankfully for.

But, _where_ was he? "What's going on here?" He grumbled, his voice echoing through the empty space.

Why did _all_ this have to happen to him? Frowning, Roxas glanced around him; his weapon wasn't at his feet, even though he'd just dropped it moments previous. Slowly, his hands balling into fists, Roxas slowly started forward; was this some kind of test? Or, had Axel killed him, had he gotten singed by the flames? He really didn't remember. He shook his head; he was supposed to win the Struggle Tournament, not _die_.

"What the hell?" He shouted, angry. "I don't have time for this!"

Then, something heavy fell into his hands.

Blinking, Roxas looked down, his hands automatically closing around the hilt. He raised an eyebrow as he looked down; what was _that_?

"You're going to need that."

Roxas's head shot up, glancing wildly around him – no one was there. "Who's there?" He glanced down at the weapon again. "What is this?"

The voice laughed lightly. "That's one of the Keyblade's of light."

Keyblade . . . _Keyblade_ . . . that's what Axel was talking about . . .

"What am I supposed to _do_ with it . . .?"

"You'll know when the time is right."

Roxas groaned; they were telling him as much as Axel was. "Who are you?" He frowned; so much for a _normal_ life. "And what if I don't know?" He _definitely_ didn't.

"You will," the voice said idly. "The right people are there to help you along the way, I'm sure of it. Goodbye Roxas."

"Wait –"

He never got to finish his statement. He felt the strange presence pull away from his mind, the white surrounding him fading. He tried to hold onto the light, but slowly the white started to fade to brown and soon enough, he found himself back in Twilight Town; standing in the Struggle arena.

"So, that's the second Keyblade; it's very similar to _his_."

Roxas rolled his eyes; so Axel was still there. He noticed vaguely however, that the flames were gone. Frowning, he glanced down at the weapon – this _Keyblade_ was what everyone was after? It didn't _look_ that special . . .

"Then, that's all the more reason to get rid of you!"

Roxas's head snapped up, jumping out of his thoughts as he looked up at Axel. He noticed the red haired man had his Chakram's out again, ready to launch them at the unsuspecting blonde. Roxas, unaware of what to do, he dropped into a defensive stance, bringing the Keyblade up before him, his arm jerking with each hit the Chakram's landed on the cold metal.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" Roxas shouted, pushing Axel back, his eyes narrowed. "You can _have_ it then!"

Angered, Roxas threw the Keyblade away from him, the metal shaft clanging against the arena floor before it stopped at Axel's feet. Axel raised an eyebrow, looking from the Keyblade to the blonde, an eyebrow raised. Keeping his eyes narrowed on the blonde, Axel moved to grab the Keyblade, but before his fingers could close around it, it started to glow. He paused momentarily before the Keyblade was consumed by the light before reappearing in Roxas's hands moments later.

"What? _Why_?" Roxas moaned, blinking in surprise.

"It's a part of you," came the female's voice again.

"Fight, Keyblade Master; show me your skill!" Axel taunted; a smirk on his features.

"But . . ." What the _hell_ was he supposed to do?

"Enough!" Roxas stumbled as another loud, booming voice rang out in the frozen square. "Organization miscreants, it's time you appeared again."

Roxas blinked, as footsteps echoed throughout the square, a red clad man appearing from the direction of the back alley. Axel let out a groan; his features twisting in anger. "You again – stay out of the Organization's plans!"

The man didn't say anything for a couple minutes, a smirk evident on his features. "As long as you continue seeking Sora; I won't stop."

Roxas – currently forgotten – looked between the two, eyebrow raised. He was lost before, but now . . . it was all just a _blur_. Axel wanted to kill him for the Keyblade. Then, the red clad man wanted to kill Axel, and vise versa. Maybe, _maybe_, if he slowly backed away, they wouldn't notice he was gone. Yes, that was a good idea.

"Stay there, Keyblade Wielder."

Roxas paused; he'd only taken a couple steps . . .

Axel's face darkened. "This _isn't_ over between us, DiZ," he narrowed his eyes, glancing at Roxas. "Or us Keyblade Wielder, we'll finish this _later_."

Calling back his Chakram's, which disappeared in a swirl of black, Axel turned on his heel, disappearing into the darkness behind him moments later. Roxas watched the darkness swallow up Axel, a shiver running up his spine, before turning to glance at the red clad man, now standing behind him. "Who are you?"

"Someone who interferes with the Organization's plans."

Roxas sighed; that told him a lot. "For your own good, too, right?" Roxas said, crossing his arms over his chest. "So, you want this too . . ."

"Not exactly," DiZ said suddenly, fixing his gaze intently on Roxas. "The Organization wishes to reopen Kingdom Hearts." Roxas nodded; he had _no_ idea what this guy was talking about. "They tried to corrupt the Keyblade Master last year, but he saw through their trick and defeated them."

Roxas nodded again; this was a _confusing_ story. "So . . . they'll come for me next?"

"Exactly," DiZ said, glancing momentarily at the still figures of his friends. "You'll have to leave this town. The Organization knows where you are, and they'll come for you, or target your friends; whatever comes to them first."

Roxas paused, turning to glance at his friends; happy-go-lucky Olette, the strategic Hayner and snap happy Pence. "They'll target them . . ."

"They're close to your heart, if they get their hands on them – _especially_ the girl – you'll do whatever they want."

"They'd use them," Roxas shook his head. "That can't happen, it's just _heartless_!"

DiZ smirked. "Close enough; they are Non Existent –"

"Then how can we see them? Shouldn't they be _ghosts_?" That's what they always were in comic books.

"That's where Kingdom Hearts come in. If they manage to open it, they can become human beings once again – at least, that's what _they _believe. But, we cannot let that happen, we must stop them before they complete their goal. The same thing happened two years; darkness ravished each world, we will _not_ let that happen once again."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, trying to piece it all together. "So," he said at length. "The Organization are non-existent beings who want to open this Kingdom Hearts thing and release heartless or whatever?"

DiZ frowned, what was he supposed to do _now_?

"Time is starting to move," DiZ said, ignoring Roxas. "Someone will come for you soon."

"What?" That was what that girl had told him . . .

Glancing up again, Roxas frowned, DiZ was no where to be seen. Roxas kicked a stone at his feet – _why_ did this have to happen to him? Deep in thought, distracted, he shook his head as the Stopra spell wore off; the crowd's cheering restarting. Turning around on his heel, he stumbled backwards; Vivi no more then a foot in front of him.

He smirked, surprise written across Vivi's face. According to Vivi, he was standing on the other side of the arena. "Vivi; I win."

Before Vivi could move, Roxas swung his weapon back, not noticing the glint of the Keyblade's shaft in the sunlight. He brought it down, the weapon clanging soundly against Vivi's foam staff, making Vivi stumble back, falling to the ground with a thump.

"Out of bounds," the coordinator of the Struggle match announced. "Winner: Roxas!"

A loud cheer rose up in the crowd once more. "Roxas, you _won_!" Olette shouted, boosting herself onto the platform before launching herself at the blonde.

"Way to go man – second round here we come!" Hayner yelled, pumping his fist into the air, his tally paper in hand.

Pence grinned, flashing him a thumbs up.

"So, where did you get _this_ from, Roxas?" Olette asked, letting go of him to look critically at the weapon he held.

Roxas froze; the Keyblade dropping from his grasp. He _still_ had it . . . but how? His head spun, how was he supposed to explain what transpired to his friends – _without _sounding crazy? Before he knew it, he found himself dropping to the ground; bringing a hand to his head as it pounded heavily.

_Keyblade . . ._

_The Organization . . ._

_DiZ . . ._

_Kingdom Hearts . . ._

"Roxas! Are you okay?" Olette asked, worry in her tone as she knelt down before him, resting a hand on his shoulder. When she got no reply, she bit down on her lip, throwing a glance back at Hayner and Pence, who were shouting something over to Seifer. "Guys, I need your help; something's _wrong_."

Hayner glanced up – annoyance littering his features – an eyebrow rising as he noticed Olette hovering worriedly over Roxas. Nudging Pence, he nodded in Olette's direction, the two quickly made their way up the small staircase, stopping before them, hauling Roxas up.

Olette sighed, following worriedly behind them. "What do you think happened?"

"I think someone's had too much for one day," Hayner laughed, throwing his head back.

"Maybe," Olette mumbled. "Wasn't it _weird_ though? One minute Roxas was standing at one end of the arena holding the foam bat, but the next second he was in front of Vivi, with this thing in hand . . ." Olette cast a glance down at the key she held.

Pence nodded, looking at the large key. "I know; where'd it come from?"

Hayner shrugged. "Whatever; all I know is that will _totally_ take down Seifer tomorrow."

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Kairi yawned as she stretched out. She rubbed her eyes in hopes of getting the sleep out; she hadn't meant to sleep that late. Letting out a groan, a shiver running down her spine as her feet touched the floor beneath her, she paused as she noticed the white surrounding her.

She flopped back down on the bed, dejected. It hadn't been a dream – she was really here, wherever _here_ was.

Running a hand through her hair, she sighed. If her sense of time was right, it _should_ have been about midmorning back on the Islands. She wondered vaguely if anyone had realized she was missing yet. She figured Selphie would have noticed by now; they had grown closer during Sora and Riku's absence. She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts.

That was the _last_ thing on her mind – her main concern now was Sora.

She couldn't care what her disappearance act on the Island might do to her reputation.

Shaking her head, Kairi pushed herself off the bed, moving purposely across the room, closing her hand around the doorknob. She'd had _that_ dream again; thinking back, she didn't know how she could have missed it when Axel appeared on Destiny Islands or when Demyx followed her around yesterday. In her dream, Sora was there, but instead of defeating the darkness, she found him falling into it, surrounded by people cloaked in black . . .

She _knew_ they were the same as the others in the castle.

Closing her bedroom door, Kairi narrowed, suspicion clouding her mind.

They were after Sora, and she _knew_ they weren't going to help reunite her with him.

No doubt about it, they were going to use her as bait.

The thought made her roll her eyes; she _wasn't_ going to be some little damsel in distress this time. She could handle this herself – this time, she was going to fight.

Pluto was right; the dog really did belong to the King, he'd seen through what was going on . . . but Kairi . . . _oh_! She'd been so stupid! She'd wanted to see Sora so badly, that she had taken his word on it, taken his hand and followed him in the darkness.

She was a stupid girl with a silly wish.

Her mind whirled as she made her way down white floor after white floor, hardly paying any attention to her surroundings. Her thoughts kept coming back to her dream and the dark clad figures; it would figure that when she needed them, they wouldn't be around. Did they _know_ she knew? No . . . if they knew, they'd finish her off quickly.

"Looks like they have _their_ secrets too," she mumbled to herself. She narrowed her eyes as she came to the bottom of the stairs, now of the first floor. "If they want to crack my secrets – I can play this game too . . ."

Her thoughts were on Demyx, a frown coming to her face. With her dream in mind, she found herself thinking back on the night previous; now, Demyx seemed too interesting in her past, in . . .

_Kingdom Hearts_ . . .

She found her hands balling up into fists; they wanted to use her as a _tool_. Were they planning on opening Kingdom Hearts again? She groaned, she had come here_ willingly_. A shiver ran down her spine, this was _great_ . . .

"Where would they hide these secrets?" she mumbled, glancing at the white coloured hallway.

Being on the first floor, Kairi smirked as her eyes found the small corridor Demyx and Axel had gone down the night before. Glancing around her surrounding – nodding when she saw no one was around – she ran off in the direction, cursing her echoing footsteps. Her heart beating, she raced down the white lit corridor, skidding to a stop as she came around the corner.

No one was there either.

Her eyes narrowed again, the mysterious black door staring back at her.

Taking a deep breath, picking her pace up, Kairi started purposely towards the door.

She _wasn't_ going to be a damsel in distress this time.

She was going to write her own path.

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Axel sighed, running a hand over his features as he stepped out of the portal, the perpetual darkness of the in between world surrounding him. Grumbling to himself as the portal disappeared once more; he started up the path, the white _castle_ looming overhead. Things in Twilight Town hadn't gone the way he had wanted it to; how the _hell_ did Roxas get the Keyblade so fast and then DiZ showing up.

The kid had allies already.

This was going to be _harder_ then expected.

"They're not going to like this," he grumbled, pushing the large door open.

"You're back fast, Axel," Axel scowled; it would _figure_ someone would have to be in foyer. He rolled his eyes as he noticed Demyx, leaning lazily on the banister. "Where's the kid? Awe, don't tell me you _killed_ him – you're no fun." Demyx let out a laugh, shaking his head as he came to a stop at the end of the stairwell. He raised an eyebrow as Axel glared at him, shoving him angrily out of the way. "Oh, no way; you _failed_!"

Axel paused, stopping mid step to glare over his shoulder at the blonde, who had a smirk plastered on his face. "I see why Saix wants to kill you," Axel mused, brushing Demyx off.

Demyx shrugged, following after Axel. "Whatever. Anyway, how'd you manage to _loose_ to a defenseless sixteen year old brat?"

Before Demyx could say anything else, Axel had stopped and called forth his Chakrams. Smirking, he turned around quickly on his heel, shoving his Chakram's at Demyx, who surprise, stumbled back, down the stairs. "You never shut up, do you? If you _must_ know, DiZ showed up again."

Demyx snorted, shaking his head. "So what? He's _useless_; he's got no weapon, just his stupid logic." Demyx rolled his eyes. "I can _see_ how hard he would be to defeat . . ."

"Just like you took out Sephiroth?" Axel mocked, dropping his Chakram's to his side.

"Please, that's a _totally_ different category," Demyx grumbled, pushing himself up off the floor. "Have you _seen_ Sephiroth's weapon? Its how big – fifty feet? Yeah, that's the _same_ category as DiZ," Demyx chuckled. "Have fun telling the others. The _great_ Axel failed, against DiZ of all people . . . say, can I be there when you tell them?"

Axel glared at Demyx, his Chakram's disappearing as he started up the winding staircase again. Demyx sighed, rolling his eyes as he followed after Axel.

Sometimes, it was too easy to get the red head fired up . . .

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The Black door . . .

Kairi stood at the bottom of the small staircase, staring up at it.

Even from her position at the bottom step, she could feel the darkness radiating from it.

Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily, she squared her shoulders as she locked eyes with the door. "That's it; let's see what lies beyond there . . ."

Nodding to herself, Kairi started up the stairwell slowly, her footsteps heavy. Moments later, Kairi found herself standing on the top step, the black door standing inches in front of her. Closing her eyes again, Kairi tried to clear her mind and reached out to grab the doorknob, grinning as she opened it. Her eyes snapped open, and pushing on the door . . . it opened.

She backpedalled as she saw the darkness swirling inside.

Whatever she had expected – it wasn't that.

Gritting her teeth, Kairi forced herself forward; letting the darkness pull at her skin, drawing her in again. Keeping her back straight and her thoughts in line – she _wasn't_ going to let darkness consume her again. As the darkness completely encased her, Kairi peered into the darkness, trying to find a certain sense about herself. Standing there, Kairi eventually caught sight of a glint of light off to one side; capturing her attention.

Slowly, she made her way towards the light, letting go of the doorknob – she'd be able to find her way back, right?

The closer she got; the more clearly it seemed to come to her . . .

There were pillars rising to the ceiling, a design inscribed on the front of each one. Figures dressed in black seemed to be perched on top of them – four of which were see through; were they _holograms_? Then, she noticed six empty pillars.

She raised her eyebrow, the pieces coming together.

Had she somehow stumbled across the Organization's meeting place? She frowned however, she couldn't hear what they were saying, what they were planning. The empty pillars bothered her though; Axel had said five had died . . . but then the sixth one – could it be for their leader? Kairi shook her head, each answer she got gave way to another wave of questions.

After a couple minutes of watching, Kairi sighed, yawning. Watching them sitting there was _boring_ and getting her no where. Turning on her heel, questions gnawing on her mind (how was she going to bring this up innocently with Demyx or Axel?) she tried to head back the way she came, ignoring the darkness swirling around, trying to pull her in each direction.

Before she knew it, the darkness fell away from her, leaving her in the white washed corridor.

Kairi blinked a couple times, rubbing her eyes. After wandering around in the darkness, the white washed room looked too _bright_ in her opinion. Slowly, she brought her hands up to her arms, rubbing them as she felt a chill run through her body.

Her intuition had been right – the whole castle was shrouded in darkness.

Her head spin at the thought, coldness washing over her. She felt clammy – something she _hated_ – she had to get out of the castle; somehow she had to get away. This was being too much like two years ago. Shaking her head, a multitude of thoughts running through her mind, she turned on her heel, intent on getting out of this place, thinking things through in a _normal_ place.

In her rush though, she tripped over her own feet, stumbling down the stairwell, landing on her hands and knees . . .

_Kairi groaned, bringing a hand to her head, rubbing her forehead. She blinked a couple times, a pain shooting through her head when she opened her eyes. Slowly, Kairi stood up, taking in her surroundings. She raised an eyebrow at the sights before her, turning around on her heel. Everything around her was _white_ with some sort of strange glyph running continuously around her. _

"_Where am I?" she whispered, her voice eching. _

"_Who's that?" another voice answered. _

_Kairi's heart sped up slightly; it sounded like a male, could it be . . . _

"_Where are you? I can't see you!" Kairi yelled, glancing wildly around her. _

_She saw nothing but white. _

_Then, a silhouette started to form before her; hazy at first. Kairi gasped, shaking her head. Although she couldn't see details yet – he looked like _Sora_. _

"_. . . Sora?"_

_Her heart dropped slightly as the silhouette inherited features; his hair a bright blonde, clothed in complete white. _

"_How do you know Sora?" he asked at length. _

_Kairi blinked, stepping back from the blonde male, her defense up. "I've known Sora since we were kids, best friends," she narrowed her eyes. "How do," she narrowed her eyes. "How do **you** know Sora?"_

_She knew that wasn't Riku. _

"_Someone came looking for me," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Some guy in black, something about a Key and some Kingdom –"_

"_Was his name Axel?" Kairi's voice was sharp. _

"_It was," the blonde said calmly, nodding. "Are you one of them too, you seem to know a lot about them . . ."_

"_They kidnapped me," Kairi sighed. "Axel came to my hometown telling me he could help me find Sora," she stomped her foot in anger. "They haven't done any of that yet – all their doing is telling me _lies_!"_

_The blonde sighed, a frown on his features. "That must be part of their plan," he muttered low enough so Kairi couldn't hear. "What's your name then? Mine's Roxas."_

"_Roxas," Kairi echoed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm Kairi."_

_Roxas nodded. "Do you know where you are?"_

"_It's called Castle Oblivion," Kairi grumbled, frowning. "Its perpetual darkness here; from what I know so far; I believe it's a world in between, a lost world," she added for clarification. _

"_A world in between?" Roxas mumbled; what _had_ they gotten him into? "I'll find a way there."_

_Like he knew how to do that; but no doubt – this 'someone' coming for him would know what to do. _

"_What did they tell you about Kingdom Hearts?" Kairi asked, the eeriness of the place getting to her. _

"_Hmm?" Roxas jumped out of his thoughts. "Kingdom Hearts; they said they wanted to open it again –"_

"_No!" Kairi felt like she just got a punch to the stomach. "Not this again . . ."_

_Her mind spun. This was exactly like two years ago, only this time she was on her own; Riku and Sora had no idea of her involvement. Or, that she'd agreed to follow Axel willingly. She bit down on her lip; why couldn't things be simple for once? Why couldn't Riku and Sora have come home with her? She remembered seeing Riku behind Kingdom Hearts, saying something to Sora before the door slammed shut. Her mind screamed at her though; if the door was opened again, Riku would be free again. But, all those Heartless . . ._

_Talk about a complex. _

_She jerked out of her thoughts as she heard Roxas call her name. "What happened, Kairi . . .?"_

_Kairi shook her head, smiling for once. "It's a long story. I'll tell you when we meet."_

_Roxas grinned back. "I hate cliffhangers; I'll be there soon."_

_Kairi shook her head, laughing lightly. "It's hardly an interesting story; too much drama. You don't even know me though, why risk yourself?"_

_Roxas shrugged, waving the comment aside. "Doesn't matter, no one deserves to be held as bait."_

_Kairi grinned, rocking back on her heels. Opening her mouth to say something to the blonde, her mouth closed as her eyes flew wide open as a hand clamped down on her shoulder, shaking her. Before she knew it, Roxas and the white room faded, disappearing from view . . ._

"Kairi, _Kairi_, what are you doing down on the floor?"

Kairi slowly came too at the sound of her name, groaning. Her head felt so foggy; what was that? Roxas . . . she frowned, the name sounded vaguely familiar. She shrugged the thought away as she placed her hands on the cool ground beneath her, propping herself up. Blinking, she glanced around her. She frowned inwardly, she was _still_ in Castle Oblivion – it hadn't been a dream.

"Now, don't tell me you're ignoring me again?"

It was that voice again . . . and then there was the tight pressure on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned around to face them, smiling slightly when she saw Demyx kneeling beside her. It didn't escape her sight that his face seemed worried, but his eyes looked the polar opposite . . .

She shook her head, letting out a small laugh. "I was just trying to find you all," she said, picking herself up off the floor, brushing the nonexistent dirt from her dress. "It's boring by myself."

"Uh huh," Demyx said, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Well, let's take a walk shall we? I've got time now."

Kairi nodded, a shiver running down her spine as Demyx draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her against his chest. "Sure, let's go."

Demyx's guarded look didn't escape her eyesight or the look that he sent at the black door at the end of the hallway.

This might be harder then she thought – he knew she was on to them, _right_?

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Pacing across his room, Roxas balled his hands into fists, shaking them out moments later before repeating the process. Sighing, he dropped onto his bed, frowning.

This just kept getting _worse_ . . .

"Can you hear me . . .?" He asked out loud, thinking of the feminine voice from earlier.

He realized he _still_ didn't know her name.

"Hello again, Roxas," came the familiar voice. "What is it you need?"

_What's your name_; came to mind, but he didn't voice it. "I met another girl today. She said the Organization has her because she wants to find Sora –"

"You spoke to Kairi?" She sounded shocked, an edge to her tone.

Roxas flinched from her pitch. "That's not good, not at all, this wasn't in the cards. We'll have to hurry then; he's _not_ going to be happy when he hears about this. I'll send someone to Twilight Town immediately," she added, remembering Roxas was still there.

Roxas nodded slowly. "Who is Kairi to Sora?"

". . . she is very important."

_Right_, that told him a lot.

"Their using her as _bait_ for Sora –"

"They would. Kairi is part of him, and if they were to threaten her – Sora would _**not**_ do anything. They hold all the cards here."

Roxas sighed, running a hand over his face. "Why is this so confusing?"

"It'll _all_ work out eventually. I can see the ending, and we'll be alright. I'm sending someone to Twilight Town for you – say goodbye to your friends."

Roxas paused, raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You are aware already that the Organization won't let this go – they will target your friends like Kairi has been targeted. Think about that . . . we are trying to protect them from harm."

"I will return one day –"

"Yes, yes, when everything is over, you can return here," she said airily. If she was in the room with him, Roxas could have seen her waving him off. "But until then –"

"What's your _name_?" Roxas cut in. "If I'm doing what you want, you _owe_ me that."

"It's Namine," she said, pulling away from Roxas.

"_Namine_ . . ." he mumbled to himself as he felt the heavy weight of Namine leave his mind, leaving him to his own thoughts. "What have I gotten into . . .?"

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02/14/09


	4. 04: Incomplete Souls

Demyx frowned, his mind whirling a mile a minute. Their footsteps echoed around them as they made their way up multiple floors, saying nothing. Kairi narrowed her eyes, watching Demyx suspiciously; her intuition telling her something was wrong here. Taking a deep breath, she nonchalantly shrugged Demyx's arm off her shoulder. As his arm fell heavily to his side, Kairi whirled around on her heel, her feet heavy as she ran in the opposite direction.

She didn't get far, before Demyx's hand fell tightly onto her upper arm, stopping her just as suddenly. Kairi let out a yelp as she staggered backwards, wincing from the pain his sharp tug had created on her.

"Let me _go_!" she demanded, balling her free hand into a fist, hitting his shoulder. "I _hate_ you – all of this!"

Demyx ignored Kairi's comments, tugging the resistant red head along behind him.

Kairi grumbled under her breath, trying to dig her heels into the floor with no effect.

Demyx shook his head; the Princess of Heart was _sneakier_ then he originally thought.

He'd have to keep a tighter watch on her . . .

She sounded close to finding their true motives . . . and she _already_ suspected them of something.

He shook his head, he wouldn't think of that now.

Besides, they only _needed_ Kairi for one thing anyway.

"You're hurting me!" Kairi yelled, Demyx's hand tightening yet again around her arm.

At the sound of her shrill voice, Demyx stopped suddenly – the girl crashing into him – and whipping around, reached out for Kairi's free arm. "Tell me Kairi," he shouted; eyes ablaze as he brought the surprised girl closer to him. "What were you doing there?"

"I already told you," Kairi grumbled, pulling back as best she could from him. "I was _bored_ – so I went looking for you," Kairi said calmly, glancing from his face to her pink shoes. "Axel said he'd take me to Sora, _but_ . . . Sora's not here, he's **not** coming!" Inwardly, Demyx smirked. Their plan was working; she doubted the Keyblade Master. She didn't believe he would come for her, that he had _forgotten_ about her. "And it's **all** because of you!"

Demyx blinked, _that_ was unexpected. The quiet girl that had arrived here was gone, replaced by an angrier, glaring girl. "What?" he laughed, shaking his head.

How did she _know_?

Kairi just glared at him; and noticing that in his surprise, Demyx had let go of her arms shrugged him off her once again. Huffing, Kairi placed her hands behind her back, locking them together so he couldn't grab her once again. "I know who you are _and_ what you're planning. You – you're part of the Organization and you're planning on using me as bait to kill Sora!"

Her voice got louder as she spoke, her hands balling into fists at her side. Slowly, her eyes narrowed, she started to walk away, her eyes never leaving Demyx.

The blonde, having shaken off his surprise, followed after Kairi, his eyes boring into hers. "Tell me, _how_ do you know about that?"

Kairi remained unfazed. "That's _none_ of your business."

Demyx was silent, his footsteps remaining even. Kairi raised an eyebrow, watching him warily. "Fine, be that way," he said snappishly, surging forward, grabbing her arm tightly. "I don't have time to play your games."

Kairi glared at him as he dragged her up another stairwell, to another white floor. Kairi sighed, all this white was so . . . _cliché_.

Stairwell after stairwell, Kairi eventually lost count of the floors, they looked the exact same as the one previous. Not a very good design in her opinion. She had tried to reason things out with the angry blonde, but he refused to speak or look at her, he only pulled her along harder. She soon gave up on trying to speak to him and then on trying to pull back as he only gripped her tighter, making her loose the feeling in her arm.

Finally, after _another_ white stairwell and white corridor, Demyx came to a slow, and eventually to a stop.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, glancing around Demyx to the large, gold coloured door in the wall.

She watched as his free hand reached forward, yanking on the ornate door handle, the door opening with a creak, the lights off inside. She frowned – was that a _smile_ on Demyx's face? Her heart dropped – she had a bad feeling about all this . . .

"Welcome to your _**new**_ home, Princess," he commented, the smirk plastered on his face.

Before Kairi knew what was happening, Demyx grasped her arm tightly, hurling her inside. Kairi stumbled, her eyes widening, blinking as Demyx flicked the lights on. Catching herself on an unused chair in the center of the room, Kairi righted herself, whirling around on her heel just in time to see the door slam shut with an ominous boom.

Cursing slightly, Kairi ran at the door, slamming her fists against it as she heard a lock turn outside. "Let me _out_, Demyx! I won't do what you want – I'll find a way out!"

Her answer was the sound of retreating footsteps.

Sighing, Kairi turned, placing her back against the door. Slowly, she sunk down to the ground, placing her hands around her knees as she looked around the unused room. Like all the other rooms she had seen, everything was _white_ – white walls, white floors and white furniture.

_Talk about overkill_, she thought idly before her eyes stopped on a strange object in the center of the room.

In the center, on a raised platform, was a large crystal orb – it _looked_ the same size as her . . . – with a white chair sitting beside it.

Her mind immediately flickered to Roxas, could this be some way to contact him? Pushing herself up off the floor, a plan forming in her mind, Kairi strode purposely across the room, coming a stop before it. Sighing, she flopped down in the chair, staring at the orb before her, what was its purpose? She bit her lip, did she _want_ to try this?

"Oh Sora," she mumbled, closing her eyes. "I hope you don't find out where I am, you _can't_ come here." As much as she wanted to see him, she didn't want him to risk his life _again_ for her. "Just wait for me to get out of here," she whispered, curiosity getting the better of her as she reached out, the orb cool to the touch. "Roxas, please hurry . . ."

_Please hurry_.

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Roxas's eyes opened, his limbs flailing as he quickly moved to sit up in bed. Disorientated, he glanced around him, rubbing his eyes. Seeing nothing out of ordinary, he let out a yawn, throwing the sheets off him. A frown on his features, he moved mechanically around his room, getting changed, his mind far away.

He'd had _that_ dream again.

He shook his head, shrugging into his vest as he sat down on his bed again, fumbling for the shoes he'd kicked under it the night previous.

_Kairi had been in trouble. She'd been found out by her kidnappers and now, she'd been locked up in that mausoleum of heartless – soulless? – people._

"You must hurry, Roxas." Namine's voice rang out in his mind.

Roxas groaned inwardly at the sound of her voice. He glanced once again around his room; there was no sign of another person. Running a hand over his face, he rolled his eyes. "What have you gotten me into . . .?"

Roxas heard Namine's ghostly chuckle, closing his eyes momentarily. Upon opening them again, he blinked a couple times, his eyebrows rising. He had been sitting in his room a moment previous, and now, he found himself surrounded by white, a long table stretching out before him. Puzzled, he looked around the room, pausing when at the other end of the table; a girl calmly sat; her blonde hair catching his eye in the colourless room.

"Namine . . . ?"

She nodded, smiling at him. She motioned with her hand to the seat closest to Roxas. "Please, come and sit; we have a lot to discuss."

Roxas nodded, watching the blonde warily as he reached for the seat, flopping down onto it. "How come you brought me here?"

Namine shook her head, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. "There are many things you have to know before you leave town –"

"There can't be _that_ much," Roxas exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"More then you can imagine," Namine said, folding her hands on the tabletop. "Now, _please_ stop interrupting, I don't have a lot of time here."

"Just tell me; _why_ can't I return here and . . . and what about my _friends_?"

Namine shook her head. "Like I already told you, the Organizations knows where you are, and since Axel came at an inopportune time, they know who your friends are. But, by all means, if staying here will make you feel better, stay – only know that it will cost _them_ dearly. As for _Twilight Town_; the answer's in the name, honestly. Your world is between light and dark, balancing on the tip of a knife, you could say. Both the Heartless_ and_ the Nobodies can enter this territory – both will be after you; **especially** now that you possess a Keyblade."

"Which _you_ gave me," Roxas cut in, eyes narrowing. "You're the one who brought them here!"

Namine looked at him, her crystalline eyes staring intently at him, waiting for him to finish. "Axel would have killed you with or _without_ the Keyblade. You were defenseless; I believed you deserved to know why they wanted you dead; any normal person would want that. Wouldn't that have confused you; him suddenly trying to kill you?"

Roxas sighed, pondering over what Namine said, clenching his hands together. "Why did you choose me?" he eventually asked.

"I didn't," Namine said quickly, ringing her hands together. "I don't choose the Keyblade Wielders, the Keyblade chooses their master. Why it chose you . . . maybe because you're _incomplete_."

"Not complete?"

Namine made no sense; the girl had to _stop_ talking in riddles.

"I'm not completely sure myself," she muttered, shaking her head slightly. "I was in charge of looking after Sora's memories last year, and I found an incomplete string. I have a strong feeling the two of you are a part of each other –"

"This is _ridiculous_!" Roxas shouted, slamming his fist onto the table as he surged up, "I'm my _own_ person – no one else's! Don't you tell me I'm part of some other guy, it's just . . ."

Namine sighed. "You'll understand later –"

"I don't want to understand anything," Roxas yelled, glaring at the blonde girl. "I didn't ask for any of this and I don't want it either. Find someone else."

Namine smiled at him. "You're going to abandon Kairi, then?"

Roxas paused, having forgotten about the red haired girl. "She's being held captive by those people who wanted me dead – what the hell am I supposed to do for her?"

"She's in Castle Oblivion," Namine shivered at the mention of the _castle_, clenching her hands together. "I know that place well, I can get you in and out with ease. I was held captive there last year; Kairi will be on the thirteenth floor. I warn you though –"

"They kidnapped you too?" Roxas said; what was _with_ these people?

"Yes, yes, they will use whoever they need to get what they need; myself included," Namine commented with a wave of her hand, brushing it off. "But, back on topic; you will be _leaving_ Twilight Town as soon as you leave this area. You will head towards the Twilight Station; someone will be waiting there for you. From there, you will find the best way to locate Kairi."

"Kairi . . ." Roxas mumbled, frowning.

"You will need all the wits you can gather about yourself, Roxas; this will not be as easy as you think. But, between my associates and I, we will find the way through this; we always have."

"Alright," Roxas nodded slowly. "So, how am I to find this person coming for me – do you _know_ how many people use the Station?"

Namine laughed. "True enough; but you'll notice him. He'll be considerably shorter then you are and most likely dressed in black; the rest he'll have to fill you in."

"Hey wait," he exclaimed, as the room and Namine started to fade from his vision. "What . . ."

"We'll meet again," Namine grinned, remaining sitting as Roxas disappeared.

Blinking a couple times, Roxas found him lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sighing, Roxas pushed himself off the bed, staring around his room. His laptop sat on his desk, his summer homework piling up around it. Clothes were scattered across his floor, a photograph of him and his friends in front of Twilight Tower. Reaching out for the photo, Roxas shoved it into his pockets; if he _had_ to leave, he was at least taking the photo with him.

As he heard the sound of the morning trains' horn; Roxas's eyes widened, his mind whirling. Was that the train Namine's associate was coming on? Picking up his white coat from the back of his chair, he threw it hastily on before leaving the room.

"Hey mom," he called as he thudded heavily down the stairwell. "I'm running _really_ late today – I'll be home later, alright?"

A whole lot later, actually.

He nodded as he heard his mom's response, followed by a clang of dishes in their kitchen. Closing the front door behind him, Roxas let out a sigh, glancing back at the house he had lived in for as long as he could remember. The green door needed a paint job – horribly faded from the sun – and the shingles were starting to wear, a chimney situated in the middle of the roof. Shaking his head, he turned his back on the house, running down the dirt path to the road. Reaching the sidewalk, he couldn't help but think it amusing that he _always_ hated his mother's plants out front, but now that he was leaving, he thought he'd miss them too.

Leaving town was harder then he thought.

There was too much stuff he'd miss . . .

Shaking his head, clearing his thoughts, Roxas took off down the sidewalk, his footsteps heavily hitting the pavement. The streets around him were deserted; it still being too early for a majority of the stores to open up. Deep down, Roxas was glad, no else needed to be wrapped up in this crazy scheme. Unsure how to explain it, he could feel a _presence_; similar to the presence Axel gave off, but different at the same time.

"Not good, not good," Roxas muttered, turning a corner.

Fumbling through his pockets, he smirked as he felt his hands close around the cool metal of the Keyblade keychain. Pulling it out of his pocket, he held onto it tightly, glancing around warily. It couldn't be too much longer before whatever it was showed up . . .

Then, crossing the street, turning the corner – the Station no more then a couple blocks away – he skidded to a stop.

Standing there in the middle of the street, a white creature stood, swaying back and forth, blocking his path. Even though there was only one of them, Roxas came a stop, glancing warily at it. He couldn't see its eyes, so maybe he could sneak by it? Looking the creature over, he noticed the dark heart on its chest, vines wrapped around the design. Roxas's eyes were drawn to the sharp claws adorning its hands.

"_Use the Keyblade_!" Namine's voice rang out.

"Right," Roxas said, shaking off his stupor. Holding the keychain tightly, it glowed slightly, before the Keyblade appeared. "This'll be easy."

Gripping the Keyblade tight, Roxas stealthily approached the white creature, his eyes intent. But, as he got closer, the creature stopped moving, his zippered mouth opening. Roxas paused, that was just . . . _creepy_. The Nobody looked around itself, hardly taking notice of Roxas as it swung on its feet once more, and then, disappeared into the wall.

"What the?"

That was unexpected.

Raising an eyebrow, Roxas dropped his Keyblade to his side, making his way over to the wall. Unable to control his curiosity, he stretched a hand out, placing it against the wall. It felt solid enough. Shaking his head though, he turned his heel, continuing down the street. If the creature had disappeared _willingly_, he wasn't going to complain.

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The train shuddered to a stop, the morning light shining through the large windows. The trains' doors opened with a small _ping_, the announcer boringly announcing Twilight Station. No one in the compartment moved, a majority of the occupants dressed for work or the beach; briefcases and colourful bags adorning the floor. One occupant however, stood out from the rest of them, dressed from head to toe in black, their hood drawn up. Moving through the packed compartment, he exited the train, the door closing behind him moments later.

They have glanced around the bustling train station; loud noises there, screaming child here, every single one of them running to catch a train. A large sign was tacked up on the wall, welcoming them for choosing Twilight Town as their destination. His footsteps echoed underneath him as he hurried towards the glass doors at the end of the long corridor, his mind whirling.

He could _feel_ their presence, they were here . . .

"Twilight Town . . ." he muttered, pushing the door open. "Why did it have to come to this?"

A frown marred his features as he moved down the small stairwell and across the cobbled platform. The wind whirled lightly around him, catching the end of his cloak while trying – in vain – to knock down their hood. His hands balled into fists as he descended towards Market Square, his eyes calculating as they glanced warily at the street around them.

Then, he stopped midstride.

Something was _stirring_ and it felt **dark** . . .

"So, they've _found_ him already." His eyes narrowed; his pace picking up quicker again. "The aura of both the Keyblade Wielder and the Nobodies are strong," his footsteps turned into a run as he realized the two auras were intertwined. "This isn't –"

He staggered backwards, surprised, catching his balance. His assailant, however, hit the ground with a loud thump followed by a groan. Shaking his head, he glanced at the kid to mutter an apology, but the words died in his throat.

In the kid's hand, he clutched a Keyblade.

He had to take a double look, if it wasn't for his blonde hair he'd have thought that was _Sora_.

"The Second Keyblade Wielder of the light . . ."

He hadn't expected to find him that fast.

Roxas looked up, a frown on his features. He rubbed the back of his head; grumbling to himself. Pushing himself off the ground, Roxas glanced at the person before him, blinking in surprise; he towered over the black clad figure, tightly gripping his Keyblade. Slowly, his expression turned from guarded to slightly more relaxed, taking in the appearance of the man before him. "You must be Namine's _informant_ then . . ."

He nodded briskly, turning on his heel, heading back the way he'd came. Roxas blinked, calling out a _hey!_ before following after him. "Namine mentioned that Kairi has left the Destiny Islands and is now in the hands of the Organization. She mentioned that you're going to infiltrate their _castle_ to locate her. I will warn you now; that it is not an easy task – when you go in there, you must be absolutely sure of yourself. If not, you will flounder in the darkness. Both the Dark Wielder and I attempted this late year without any luck," he added as an afterthought.

Roxas nodded, his eyebrows coming together in confusion. This _wasn't_ going to be easy . . . "Well, I won't be there that long anyway, right? I mean, I go in, get Kairi and get out of there. Is all this really necessary for a short trip?"

"It won't be easy; like what you see in a movie. You will not be able to waltz in and get Kairi – she is a bargaining chip; she will be heavily guarded."

"This is going to take _forever_ then!" Roxas threw his hands up, coming to a stop. "If I have to get into a high position to save her; by the time I _get_ there, she'll have either broken herself out or this Sora person will have already come for her!"

He felt like he was going _nowhere_ fast.

"It's already been taken care of," he dismissed the comment, cutting off into a small alley. "You will be posing as the Dark Wielder Riku; with a cloak on, the difference should be minimal."

"Wait, wait," Roxas yelled, running ahead of his companion. "You said minutes ago that he was working with you, but he's in the Organization?"

"For different reasons," the man evaded. "He had a certain amount of darkness in his heart, which the Organization was after."

From his tone, Roxas could tell that he wasn't going to say anything else on the subject.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked, his suspicion flaring.

The man before him chuckled. "It is Mickey."

"Uh huh," Roxas nodded, his tone suggesting he wasn't going to say anymore, again. "So, how am I to get to this castle? Kairi mentioned that it was _between_ the realms of light and dark, or some rhyme like that," Roxas shrugged.

"There is only _one_ way there," Mickey said, rooting through his pockets. "You can only move around with the help of cards."

"Cards?" Roxas echoed.

"The world was swallowed by darkness a millennia ago, its heart can _never_ return," Mickey produced a small deck of cards from his pocket. "These cards will show you the way."

Roxas nodded again, taking the cards from Mickey's outstretched hands, looking intently at them. He raised an eyebrow; the first card was black; a white castle situated in the middle of it. "How am I supposed to _use_ them?"

"The highest point of the town will lead you there."

Roxas nodded slowly; _that_ was informative. "So, that would be . . ." he frowned, glancing around him. "The _Twilight Tower_!"

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Demyx's hands were balled into fists, anger etched on his features as he stormed down the stairwell, his footsteps heavy. Grumbling to himself as he stepped off the last stairwell, storming across the seventh floor. Not paying attention to where he was going, his mind whirling around him, he didn't see a door open on the side, Axel lazily walking out.

The red head raised an eyebrow as Demyx stormed past, a smirk appearing on his features. "What the hell's wrong with you? I know," he shook his head, laughing slightly. "Kairi shot you down, didn't she?"

Demyx stopped, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at the laughing red head. "She's getting suspicious about why's she's here and _what's_ going on."

Axel nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "And you know this because . . .?"

Demyx shook his head, turning around to face Axel. "You brought her here, _you_ figure it out."

Axel sighed, leaning back against the wall. "If I remember correctly, you seem to have a _thing_ for her; I'd hate to get in the middle of a lovers quarrel."

"Knock it off," Demyx grumbled, crossing the distance between himself and Axel, shoving him. "She was found outside, collapsed of the meeting we just had," Demyx said, serious. "She's _trying_ to snoop around to figure all this out. She seemed to be in a trance when I found her; she was muttering something, but I couldn't make it out. However, Kairi snapped out it when I grabbed her."

Axel nodded, looking calmly at the blonde before him. "Who knows what she's up to," he shook his head. "She was probably just having a seizure, taking a nap, _whatever_ it is girls do."

Demyx rolled his eyes, how like Axel to brush everything off. Axel, unfazed by what was going on, pushed himself off the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets as he pushed past him. "She _knows_ Sora's not coming."

"Good then," Axel responded with a shrug.

Everything just got _easier_.

"No," Demyx said, his tone gloating. "She said it was because of us, _the Organization_. She somehow knows who we are and that we want Sora dead."

"She said that?" Axel said, not slowing his pace. "Interesting, very interesting . . ."

"Interesting?" Demyx yelled, hands balling into fists again. "How the hell –"

"She's smart," Axel cut in, his voice sharp in the silence.

"She didn't figure this out _alone_," Demyx hissed, starting after Axel. "When I found her, the presence of _Namine_ was close at hand. We should have dealt with her last year; we didn't need her at the end."

"If Namine is behind this, I suggest you watch Kairi intently. Namine will not stop whatever she has planned; you should be _well_ aware of that by now."

Demyx gritted his teeth at Axel's words as the red head laughed, his laugh echoing through the empty corridor as the door slammed shut behind him.

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Kairi sighed, slumping into the lone chair. She narrowed her eyes at the locked door on the opposite side of the room; she _couldn't_ get it to move an inch. After giving up on the door, she had turned her attention to the large orb sitting in the middle of the room. Her mind had jumped to the fairy tales she read as a kid; but the orb remained clear, not reacting to anything. She had tried picturing Sora and then Riku to no effect. She hadn't expected it to work, she _hadn't_ seen them for two years; god knows what they looked like now. Kairi tried to picture Roxas because she _knew_ what he looked like with no results either.

_No_, nothing seemed to work.

"Why do I _always_ have to be so useless," Kairi grumbled to herself, sinking down angrily into the chair, resting her head against the backrest. "First, it was being a Princess of Heart and losing my heart and then I go and rope myself up in another disaster – I'm so _stupid_!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in defeat.

How could she _let_ Axel do that?

Oh no, she couldn't have just been content waiting at the Island . . .

She _had_ to take it upon herself to find them and wind up a prisoner.

"I understand why Sora doesn't come back," she said ruefully, shaking her head. "I _always_ need to be saved . . ."

She shook her head, running her hand quickly underneath her eyes, tears falling. She hunched her shoulders, her hair falling over her shoulders, shielding her face from the empty room. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she didn't hear the door softly open and close, a lone occupant walking into the room.

"Come on now, don't cry, okay?"

Kairi flinched away from them as they laid a hand on her shoulder, her free hand coming out to smack them away. "I don't want to talk to you, Demyx; I _hate_ you."

When they were little, Sora used to _always_ tell her not to cry, followed by a hug. Riku was the one who tracked down the bullies on the playground.

They _always_ had to save her.

She heard a soft laugh from beside her. "Don't tell me I sound like that guy."

Kairi paused, looking up, her eyes red. She frowned as she noticed Axel kneeling in front of her. "What do you want?"

She was _past_ trusting these guys.

Axel shook his head, a smile on his face. "I heard you found something out about us," Kairi narrowed her eyes in response. "Listen, I want to show you something. I'll show you what's behind that door . . ."

_Door_? She frowned slightly, before nodding to cover it up. "Alright, I guess . . ."

Anything to get out of the room, clear her head . . . maybe just _run off_ . . . they'd be on the first floor anyway. She glanced sideways at Axel as she stood up, the red haired male sweeping her quickly out of the room, her mind whirling. She could tell he had something up his sleeve . . .

Holding the room's door open for her, Kairi nodded idly in his direction as she past by, the door closing soundly behind him. Kairi glanced back at Axel, waiting patiently for him. She had to at least _pretend_ she wasn't planning anything. She forced a smile as Axel appeared at her side, holding out his hand to her, which she took. She blinked, eyebrows rising, taken aback as Axel's fingers curled around her hand, holding her tightly.

As Axel walked slightly ahead of her, Kairi's mind whirled as she glanced guardedly at the red head. He _wanted_ to show her that room, something Demyx refused to do and locked her up. Earlier, she had felt darkness emanating from the room; did they _want_ to throw her into darkness? Were they trying to collect the Princess's of Hearts again?

But, her thoughts kept coming back to Axel and why he wanted to show her that room . . . she wanted to know his true intentions.

Was he trying to double cross the Organization, maybe this was some kind of pretense and Axel was going to let her go? Was he trying to overthrow the Organization himself?

Why else would he do all this when the others only wanted to lock her up?

She sighed; this was only leading her to _more_ questions. "Why are you going to show me this place?" she asked, noticing Axel glancing at her. "Isn't it a _secret_?"

Axel shrugged, heading down another flight of stairs. "I don't care about all that stuff; of you _want_ to see it – you might as well go."

Kairi nodded, her eyes narrowing at his vague explanation. It all sounded too _rehearsed_, like he knew this was going to happen. As her thoughts all jumbled up together, she couldn't help but feel like she was getting _deeper_ into her problems. From what she had seen so far; she didn't want _anything_ to do with this – and she _didn't_ want Sora coming here, into the mess she created.

She bit down on her lip; Roxas was coming however. She glanced over her shoulder, worried; she _wasn't_ going to be where she said she would be. Instead, she was off following Axel around, through some unknown door.

Kairi closed her eyes, changing her mind.

No, she really _didn't_ need to see the other side of that door . . .

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Black boots touched down on a dimly lit path, the grass rustling slightly in the wind. Cerulean eyes looked around him, catching sight of the portal that brought him here disappearing. He sighed; shaking his head once the portal vanished, leaving him standing there alone. In his gloved hands, he held a pack of cards; the first having a large white castle on the front. Shoving them into his pockets, he glanced at his surroundings with calculating eyes.

"So, this is _Castle_ Oblivion," he muttered to himself.

The world around him had a drab outlook; even grass seemed to have taken on a dead look. A shiver ran up his spine as he locked his gaze on the looming white castle, beckoning him forward. Frowning, he shook his head. The castle looked anything but inviting, compared to the world outside; the castle seemed _creepy_.

"This _isn't_ going to be easy . . ."

Roxas shook his head, nervously flattening his bangs against his forehead. Taking a deep breath, Roxas took a step forward; trying to calm his nerves. He had _no_ idea what this Riku person looked or acted like and yet, he was supposed to _pretend_ to be him. As the castle's shadow fell over him, he felt his heart sink as he looked up at it to the top floor.

Somehow, he was beginning to _dread_ this.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairwell, Roxas paused; just _how_ was he supposed to get out of here?

Blinking, Roxas inwardly cursed himself – how could he _not_ remember to ask that! – before shoving his hand into his pockets, fishing out the cards. Quickly, he flipped through the cards, his heart hammering in his chest. Did Namine intend to _leave_ him there too?

His breath caught on the last card; it was a picture of the Twilight Tower.

But, hadn't Namine told him _not_ to return to the urban town?

"I guess I'm going to _have_ to return there . . ."

Why would Mickey only give him that card?

Taking a deep breath, clearing his thoughts, he shoved the cards back into his pocket before starting up the white stairwell. "Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself as he reached a hand out, curling it around the doors ornate handle. "Time to rescue the Damsel in Distress," with a snort and a shake of his head, he pushed the door open.

It sounds like such a _fairy tale_, he thought idly.

As the doors slammed shut behind him, he had _no_ idea how right he was . . .

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02/20/09


	5. 05: Lost Hearts

As they turned another corner, the corridor narrowing in on them, Axel let go of Kairi's hand. Kairi slowed her pace, her hands balling into fists at her side as she watched Axel warily. He seemed unaware that Kairi wasn't at his side anymore, but lagging behind a couple feet, her mind whirling. Reaching the end of the corridor, Axel stopped, turning around.

His eyes met Kairi's, challenging her.

"Come on _Kairi_," he said evenly, a smirk appearing on his features. "Let's see what you've been dying to see you're whole time here . . ."

Kairi watched him warily as he outstretched a hand, pressing it against the blackness behind him. The door seemed to ripple as if Axel's hand had gone _through_ the wood. Coming back to her senses, Kairi shook her head, backing up. "I changed my mind," she said, forcing a smile. "There's a saying back on my Island; _curiosity killed the cat_ and it suits –"

"Now, now," Axel cut in, the smirk still on his features. "That curiosity also made the kittens."

Kairi blanked at that statement – how the _hell_ was she supposed to answer that?

"I don't want to know either way," she said simply.

"That might be Kairi," Axel said calmly. "But, we're not on your Island anymore, are we? Things are done a bit differently here . . . the more you continue to snoop around like this – the _angrier_ Demyx will become with you," Axel shook his head. "You don't want to see that, now do you?"

Kairi bit down on her lip, torn. Axel and Demyx seemed to be on opposite sides of the spectrum . . . could Axel _really_ be trying to help her?

"Come now, it won't take long," she jumped, not having noticed Axel moving to stand before her again. Axel grinned, reaching out to grab her hand. "This _will_ help, I know it."

Kairi reeled backwards, her eyes moving from Axel to the door and back again, her lips turning into a frown, her features distorting slightly. "Let me go!" she yelled, her free hand trying to pry off Axel's hand, with no effect.

"And yet," Axel said, his voice light. "You want to peer into the door, right?"

"No, I don't," Kairi yelled, her voice rising, echoing through the corridor. "I don't _care_ what you're doing, I really don't! I want to go home, I want to _forget_!"

"You already did," Axel said lowly so Kairi couldn't hear. "Now, don't be such a _baby_, Kai."

Kairi bristled at the nickname; _Sora_ was the one who always called her that. She narrowed her eyes at him as he gripped her wrist tighter, pulling her forward. Straitening her legs in protest, she leaned back, digging her heels into the floor. Axel sighed, shaking his head as he glanced minutely at her before yanking on her arm; making her stumble forward.

"Come on, I _don't_ want to see anymore," she complained, trying to shake him off as his hand pressed against her back, nudging her forward. "Just take me back – _anywhere_!" she added as an afterthought.

"Why the change of heart, Princess?" he asked, his lips close to her ear as they stopped in front of the door.

Dropping his hand from her back, but not letting go of her wrist, he walked around the pink clad girl to stop in front of the door; pulling it open with little effort. Kairi couldn't help but shiver as the door opened; darkness and coldness washing over her body. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Axel; intending to use him as a shield against the cool air.

"It's _nothing_ to be afraid of," he said lightly, his free hand coming to rest on Kairi's back again.

His touch snapped Kairi out of her thoughts. She quickly shrugged off Axel's hand, skipping out of his grip, her back to the door. "Why do you want me to go through there?" she asked; her tone sharp. "I _know_ what you're planning."

Axel held her fiery gaze, nodding a couple seconds later. "Fine then, wander through the perpetual darkness waiting for your hero; does he even know you're _here_?" Kairi huffed, rolling her eyes. "Exactly – he doesn't. He thinks your waiting at home; he doesn't have to worry about you. Boy, will he be in for a surprise!"

Kairi looked blankly at him, and feeling his grip slacken on her wrist, wrenched it out of his grasp. "Then you _go_ first."

She had to wait for Roxas. She was _so_ close to the exit, if Axel went first . . . she could easily run off . . .

Axel wasn't fazed by her words. "I already know what's through there, time for _you_ to find out."

Kairi flinched at his words, staring at him warily. Slowly, his footsteps measured, Axel came towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. Unnerved, Kairi backed up, not thinking about the darkness behind her. It wasn't until her back was up against the flowing darkness, its strands whipping out, wisps running against her bare arms and legs, did Kairi's head snap up, her eyes wide.

"And now to lure the Keyblade Master here," Axel said evenly to the frozen girl, his face passive.

"What are you –"

She didn't get to finish her statement as Axel's hand reached out of her, and catching her off guard, shoved her into the welcoming darkness . . .

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As the doors closed shut, the sound echoing through the large foyer, Roxas couldn't help but glance back at the doors. Seeing the doors behind him, _finally_ made the situation sink in . . . there was **no** getting out of here without Kairi. He felt his heart speed up; What if he couldn't get to her? What if he got found out? What if he . . . _died_ here? He shook his head, ridding himself of that last thought.

He didn't _like_ What Ifs.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around, taking in the foyer before him. He couldn't help but roll his eyes; _white_ floor,_ white_ ceiling, _white __**everything**_. A grin spread across his features, Namine would fit in perfectly here.

_I would not_, came Namine's sharp tone came.

He rolled his eyes; he couldn't seem to shake the blonde haired girls' presence off.

"Calm down," he grumbled to himself. "You don't have _anything_ to worry about; I'm the one who's here . . ."

Namine had told him, vaguely, about the events from the year previous. The Organization had taken her prisoner because she _controlled_ something they wanted. Whatever it was she controlled, she hadn't told him. _It's unimportant_, she had told him. But her companions had realized she was gone and came after her. He had no idea who her companions were either; although he figured Mickey was one of them.

"So, Kairi's on the top floor, correct?" he asked, the silence making him edgy.

_Yes, on the thirteenth floor_, Namine said; her tone defensive.

Roxas shook his head, stifling a laugh. Taking a deep breath, balling his hands into fists, he started forward. His narrowed eyes roved the empty foyer, ignoring Namine's presence for the time being. Roxas paused as he reached the bottom of the stairwell, pushing his bangs back hastily. Glancing up the winding staircase, he couldn't help it; his jaw dropped slightly.

That was a _lot_ of stairs . . .

_Come on, we've got to get moving_, Namine prodded, her tone light.

Roxas shook his head, placing his foot on the step, slowly starting up the winding stairwell, his eyes roving intently as his heart beat rapidly in his chest. There was _no_ way he could pull this off.

_You were picked for a reason,_ Namine said, trying to draw his attention away from the task at hand._ Kairi got in contact with you instead of Sora and then the Keyblade chose __**you**__ as its wielder. All you have to do is pretend to be tough_ –

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roxas grumbled, reaching the top of the first stairwell.

He didn't hear Namine's response as he glanced around his surroundings; a groan escaping his lips.

This floor looked _exactly_ like the last one with a stairwell at the end as well.

He heard Namine's ghostly laugh, the blonde girl guessing his thoughts. _The disguise should work_, she simply said.

Roxas rolled his eyes; starting across the yet again empty corridor, his footsteps echoing around him.

"You owe me one for this, Namine . . ."

Five staircases and empty corridors later, Roxas let out a huff, _finally_ reaching the top of the stairwell. His breath came heavy; he hadn't run that long since gym class last semester. "I . . . can't run . . . anymore," Roxas huffed, placing his back against the white wall, closing his eyes momentarily.

_Come on now, you can't quit now_.

Roxas groaned inwardly, and he'd _thought_ Coach Taber was a tough teacher . . .

"Why don't you try this then?" He grumbled, pushing himself away from the wall.

_Straighten up and pace yourself_.

Scratch that; Namine was like Coach Taber and his mother rolled into one.

"They should splurge and get an _elevator_," Roxas grumbled, pushing his hair back and underneath his hood as he came around the corner.

He was _never_ going to take an elevator, or escalator, for granted again.

Halfway across the corridor, he heard Namine gasp, making him stop midstride. "Namine?"

_Someone's coming_, she hissed.

He could feel the confusion, anticipation and worry gnawing on her as she scrambled around, wherever she was. Roxas took a deep breath, flattening his bangs once more, his hands balling into fists.

Could he actually do this? He didn't think so.

_Keep moving_! Namine hissed, realizing Roxas wasn't moving.

Roxas nodded, numbly starting forward again. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, his breathing irregular as he started moving again. A couple steps later, a door opened and closed, the loud sound echoing through the silent corridor. A black cloaked figure appeared at the end of the corridor, their footsteps heavy, and a scowl on their face. In their anger, their hood had fallen down, revealing short cropped blonde hair and piecing eyes.

It took Roxas all his strength to keep walking forward _toward_ the cloaked man.

Namine paused as she saw the blonde. _Demyx_, she whispered.

It was as if Namine had spoken his name out loud, he stopped, his expression freezing momentarily as he noticed Roxas walking in his direction in measured steps. "Now, _what_ do we have here? Slacking off on your mission again, huh?

Roxas blanked; thankful his hood was still up. He didn't want to know _what_ his expression looked like; there was a _reason _he failed Drama . . .

_Say something_, Namine hissed.

Roxas could tell the girl was on edge even though she was far away. "Long time no see, Demyx."

Did that sound right?

Demyx's eyes narrowed, making Roxas's heart beat faster. He'd _failed_; he was going to die here. "Riku, that you?"

Roxas sighed inwardly; maybe he wasn't too bad at this after all. "You got it."

That sounded cocky and tough, right?

Before he could congratulate himself, Demyx's expression had turned sour and stalked across the room, stopping in front of Roxas. Roxas blinked, forcing himself not to step back and reached out, grabbing a handful of his cloak. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

That was unexpected.

_What did Riku __**do **__here? _Namine asked herself, worried.

Roxas frowned; he was on his own. "What're you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid, you're not fooling me." With a glare at him, Demyx shoved Roxas aside, his frown deepening.

_I'm sorry Roxas,_ Namine said, her tone bordering between confusion and anger. _I should have known not to do this. I'm going to _kill_ Riku when I see him!_

Obviously, this Riku person liked their secrets . . .

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Demyx's hands curled into fists as he stormed across the seventh floor, his footsteps heavy, echoing in the empty corridor. He gritted his teeth together as he started down another stairwell.

Today _wasn't_ his day.

First, Kairi had disappeared from her room; which was _locked_ he noted.

He figured he knew who was behind that anyway.

Then, Riku showed up again, making his blood boil. He wanted _nothing _more then to deck the smug Dark Wielder.

Demyx shook his head, frowning. He'd deal with Riku later; he had to find Kairi first. He shuddered, he'd _hate_ to see what the others would do if he lost her.

"Now, where has our little Princess disappeared too?" he mumbled to himself, running his hand through his hair. "It's just like the blonde witch . . ."

Namine had escaped last year, from the same room no less.

The room had been looked at; there was _no_ way to escape. The door was locked from the outside; the _only_ way to get out was for someone on the outside to open it. Demyx gritted his teeth together; there was a _traitor_ in their midst . . .

Namine had escaped. Sora had disappeared. _And_, now Kairi had disappeared as well.

His pace slowed as a frown appeared on his features, drumming his fingers against his arm.

Their numbers had been narrowed greatly, but it was _still_ happening. Obviously, whoever it was hadn't died.

_Who's still here_, Demyx thought, starting down another stairwell. _Xigbar; but he was still in the Underworld. Luxord's not smart enough for that and Saix is too temperamental – he'd probably _kill_ Kairi first. Xaldin was the new ruler of Castle Oblivion and Axel . . ._

Axel . . . he was cold, aloof and hard to hold down to anything. Demyx smirked underneath his hood, the pieces falling into place; Axel _could_ be the rat. Now that he thought of it, the red head was usually seen with Marluxia and Larxene who had met their end trying to overthrow the Organization. _Could_ Axel be trying to finish what they had started?

He'd have to keep an eye on Axel then.

"So," Demyx muttered, a smirk appearing on his features as he reached the first floor. "I think the _game_ has just gotten a little more interesting – you'll have to cover your tracks _much_ better."

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Axel shook his head, a smirk gracing his features. He watched the red head intently as she slowly moved through the darkness, confusion written across her face. Kairi couldn't see him; she wasn't _born_ from the darkness. Crossing his arms over his chest, drumming his fingers against him arm, he wanted to let out a sigh.

This was supposed to have an _instant_ reaction.

Kairi's light was supposed to fade; but the light still clung to her girl, barely yielding to the darkness.

Her light was slowly dimming, but _not_ fast enough for his standards.

Axel grinned, watching her intently; he might have failed regarding the second Keyblade Wielder of the Light – but, he was throwing the _Princess_ into darkness again.

Even Demyx _could_ have thought of this . . .

"Axel?" Kairi's voice echoed through the empty space. "I can't _see_ anything, are we –"

Her words were cut off as she stumbled over her own feet as she tried to turn around.

Axel watched impassively as Kairi looked around, looking wildly for him. "It was developed this way," he said calmly. "People who don't possess the right amount of power will be lost here _forever_. To see the truth, you must open your heart."

Kairi's expression froze, unknowingly looking in Axel's direction. "I have to do _what_?"

She hadn't expected that, had she? Axel thought idly.

"You heard me," Axel said, shrugging. "That is, unless you _like_ being here. If someone with ulterior motives or an untrue heart were to try this – well, it wouldn't be pretty."

Kairi nodded slowly, processing what Axel said. Inwardly, she frowned, trying to place his vague explanations together. If she didn't open her heart, she'd be stuck here; but . . . "Well, you're here; you can just get me out of here!"

Axel blanked for a moment; he _hated_ to admit it, the girl was smart. "It doesn't work that way," he said after a moment, trying to rearrange his thoughts. "It was set up this way; you must get yourself out."

_Convenient,_ Kairi thought to herself. _Axel brings me here and the only way out was to open my heart_.

They had really thought this out; _whatever_ it was they were planning.

Axel's smirk grew slightly as he noticed the light enveloping Kairi waning slightly, turning dimmer with each passing moment. All he had to do now was keep Kairi talking a little bit longer . . .

"So, you want me to open my heart to see the truth?" _She __**already**__ saw the truth_.

"You have that right," he said evenly. "You're finally listening to me."

Kairi let out a small laugh, shaking her head, her bangs successfully hiding her eyes. "So, opening my heart will let me see the truth in everything, correct?" Slowly, her smile turned into a smirk, her tone turning sarcastic. "You're _lying_. I know what you are and I know what you want me for! You want to lure out Sora so you can _**kill**_ him!"

She shuddered at the thought of it; _why_ did she have to play a part in this?

Axel regarded her with cold, narrowed eyes. He let out a forced laugh, remaining where he was. Demyx had mentioned Kairi had figured out what they were up to somehow, but _who_ would have told her?

"Kill Sora – who told you _that_?" Kairi didn't reply, her hands balling into fists. "Whoever told you that didn't know anything. Like I told you, I'm going to _help_ you find him, don't you trust me?" He paused, smirking slightly as he thought of Roxas. "I _actually_ thought I'd found him, but it was just some blonde haired _brat_."

"Roxas," Kairi whispered to herself.

"What'd you say?" Had he _heard_ her right?

Kairi shook her head. "I just said _I see_."

Axel nodded, looking skeptically at her. "Right, so are we _going_ to get this over with, or not? There are a lot of other things I could be doing . . ."

"You've opened yours then?" Kairi said, trying to change the conversation.

"A long time ago," he responded.

Was it just her or did she hear the same wistful tone in Axel's voice as she had in Demyx's?

"What'll happen when I open my heart?"

Axel gritted his teeth together; did she _have_ to have so many questions? "You'll see the truth and _that_ will lead you to Sora," he shook his head. "And _yes_, you'll still have your heart."

"Well," Kairi bit down on her lip. "If it will help me find Sora . . . then . . ."

Taking a deep breath, Kairi shook her hands out before clasping them tightly in front of her. Closing her eyes, Kairi brought her hands close to her chest, trying to concentrate. Slowly, Kairi tried to push her thoughts away, clearing her mind. She searched inside her, trying to find her pure heart. She had found it only _once_ before, when she gave it to Sora on the Destiny Islands. It was a crystal shape, which glistened in the darkness, floating in the nothingness. Moments later, wanting nothing more then to give up, she found it: a prick of light in the distance.

She had done it; she had found what she needed.

Reaching out, Kairi managed to grasp the glistening object in her hand, warm to the touch.

Then, it happened in the blink of an eye.

Kairi felt a jolt to her system, stumbling backwards. In her surprise, she lost her grip on her heart, the glistening object disappearing from view.

Axel smirked, watching Kairi stumble, falling listlessly to the floor. Girls were easy to manipulate, such _weak_ hearts . . .

Kairi felt her breath coming in sharp gasps, her vision warping before slowly fading to black . . .

Shaking his head, Axel muttered something under his breath, the darkness dissipating from around them.

He had _done_ it.

Kairi had fallen into darkness.

Before her vision was completely taken away, Kairi felt a heavy weight on her chest, pain _beyond_ pain binding her.

She tried to rub the darkness out to no effect as Axel watched blankly a couple steps away.

It was working; the darkness was working its way into Kairi, consuming her.

Then, just as quick as it had started, it stopped. Kairi stopped moving, her breath coming evenly, her dark red hair splayed across the white floor. Glancing at the girl once more, Axel soundlessly moved across the floor, and kneeling down, picked up the girl.

"Sleep well, Princess . . ."

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_Stop_, Namine's voice sounded.

Roxas, now on the eleventh floor, faltered to a stop. Namine hadn't said anything since they had run into Demyx; no doubt, she was trying to figure out what this Riku person was hiding from her. He rolled his eyes at the thought of Riku; he hadn't even met the guy and he already didn't trust him.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing around his surroundings. "Is someone coming?"

He wouldn't have been surprised to see Demyx storming up the stairwell.

_It's Kairi_ . . .

"What's wrong with her?" he asked loudly, his voice echoing through the empty corridor. He winced, that _wasn't_ a smart move.

_Be quiet_, Namine hissed. _Kairi . . . she's not __**there**__ . . ._

"She has to be here," Roxas whispered, picking up his pace. "We would have _seen_ her stroll by . . ."

_I mean she's _not_ even in the Castle . . ._

Roxas raised an eyebrow; sometimes, Namine said the _weirdest_ things. "I just ran up _eleven _sets of stairs – what do you mean she's _not_ here?"

_You needed the exercise_, Namine said with a laugh.

"You sound like Olette," he grumbled; the brunette girl's parents practically had their own gym in the basement. "But _where_ could Kairi have gone to?"

Had Sora already come for her?

_No, it wasn't Sora_, Namine said, guessing his thoughts. _She is currently within the realm of light and dark_.

Roxas let out a sigh, tapping his foot against the floor. "And _where_ is that exactly?"

_She wouldn't have . . ._ she brushed the comment aside. _Only if your heart has been opened to darkness, can you enter. Somehow, they managed to convince Kairi to do it_.

"They tricked her," Roxas summed up, his tone dead. Shaking his head, a scowl on his face, he turned on his heel. "There must be a way there then, let's get out of here." The castle was starting to creep him out.

Namine frowned, flipping through her pages rapidly. _It's here . . . on the first floor. It's a side door, out of sight . . ._

Roxas gritted his teeth together. "The _first_ floor," he said exasperated, heading back to the staircase he had just ascended. "We _past_ it."

_At least down is quicker_, Namine added as Roxas's feet pounded against the stairs.

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Hands balled into fists, Demyx made his way down the winding corridor, the door leading into the Realm of Light and Dark waiting at the end.

He had it all worked out; Axel was the rat, the pieces all seemed to add up.

Starting up the small staircase, his eyes locked on the door, he cursed himself inwardly. How could he have _not_ seen it earlier?

There was no way he was going to let Kairi escape. He'd taken _enough_ slack when he had failed in Hallow Bastion weeks ago so he wasn't going to let Axel steal Kairi.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the door swinging open until the door swung open, a swatch of red hair standing out through the darkness. Demyx blinked, surprised, there was _no_ way Kairi could have escaped from there . . .

"What are you doing here?" came an exasperated voice.

Demyx's face turned from surprise to anger as he noticed Axel standing in the doorframe, Kairi lying limp in his arms. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "The Princess is sleeping, eclipsed in the darkness. I did what you _couldn't_; all you had to do was convince her; mentioning Sora will do wonders. But, instead you got angry and locked her away in a room."

"You did that before I could do anything!"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Were you even going to do that? You know what happened with Namine," Shaking his head, Axel stopped in front of Demyx, dropping Kairi into his surprised arms.

"Her hearts' lost to the darkness again, Sora will come running now."

Axel nodded, brushing past Demyx. "If you make me cover up for you once more, I'll kill you myself," and with that, Axel disappeared around the corner.

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"Down there?" Roxas asked, nodding in the direction of the hidden corridor.

_Yes, the pull from her heart is the strongest down there_, Namine paused, biting down on her lip. _But_ . . .

"But what?" Roxas asked, faltering to a stop, hallway across the room. "Is something wrong with her?

Namine remained silent for a while, putting Roxas on edge. _She feels __**vacant**__ . . ._

"Vacant?" Roxas echoed, confused. What was that supposed to mean?

_She's there, but she isn't at the same time,_ Namine said. _She's missing something, she's missing her _heart_. If I'm right, then she is nothing more then a shell._

"If she didn't have a heart, then she couldn't be _alive_," Roxas said slowly.

Talk about some deep plot they threw him into . . .

_I'll explain it later,_ Namine said quickly._ Just retrieve Kairi's body and return to Twilight Town. I will sort out the details later._

Roxas sighed, picking up his pace again; Namine's explanations were always vague. He shook it off though, Kairi was in trouble, he knew that for sure now. Further down the corridor, he slowed his pace again upon hearing two voices.

"_What the hell did you do to her?"_

That sounded like Demyx.

_Remember what I told you_, Namine commented.

Roxas nodded, pulling his hood down further. "Got it; Riku."

"_Her hearts lost to the darkness again, Sora will come running now."_

_That's Axel_, Namine supplied.

Roxas froze, Axel was here. This wasn't going to work. "Namine," he hissed. "I _already_ met Axel."

Namine was silent, that small detail escaping her. _That's an unexpected complex_, she finally said. _Unfortunately, you're on your own here . . ._

Roxas blanked, he was _what_? "He wanted to **kill** me last time –"

_I'm sorry, but you have to do this Roxas; do whatever you have to. Pretend, play dumb, it doesn't matter right now. _

Roxas sighed, noting the pleading town in Namine's voice. He took a deep breath, he could do this, he _could_ do this . . .

It was unlikely, but _maybe_ Axel wouldn't recognize him. Shaking his hands out beside him, he started walking again, his footsteps sounding against the floor underneath.

"_I'll kill you myself_," came Axel's voice.

Roxas froze, the voice was closer then it had been before. Then, before he could react, the fiery red head came around the corner, a smirk on his face. Axel paused, raising an eyebrow at the cloaked figure while Roxas couldn't help but shift, and was it just him, or was it getting warmer in here?

"Well, _what_ have we here?"

Roxas didn't like that Axel's smirk grew at the sight of him.

"What's what?" Demyx grumbled, his voice bored as his footsteps approached.

Roxas closed his eyes momentarily as Demyx came around the corner; it was a couple seconds before he noticed Kairi lying limply in his arms.

_Oh no_, Namine moaned, seeing what Roxas saw. _This is __**worse**__ then I thought; their going to kill me_ . . .

He wanted to ask who she meant, but that would just give him away.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Demyx grumbled, his fingers closing around Kairi's limp form.

_You're the one who's supposed to bring the Princess of Heart – Xemnas ordered it_! Namine nearly shouted.

Roxas nodded, parrying Namine's every word. Demyx raised an eyebrow, looking skeptically at him. "How would he find out _that_ fast; he's not even here."

"He has his way," Roxas said, trying not to stumble over his words.

Demyx narrowed his eyes, hardly convinced. Kairi had fallen into darkness _moments_ ago, and now Xemnas was aware of this? His eyes moved from Roxas to Axel as he let out a laugh, dropping his hand onto his shoulder. Was it _just_ him or was Axel gripping his shoulder tightly? "It doesn't surprise me, you know? Xemnas knew everything that went on in the past anyway. Whatever though, I don't care either way."

Roxas glanced at Axel, had he seen through his disguise? It was hard to tell from the way he spoke. He heard Demyx grumble something under his breath, making Axel's face darken. Roxas couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, what were they doing? Were they going to _kill_ him? Figures; he had bad luck anyway.

"Just remember, you're getting the credit though," Axel said; his smirk back in place.

Roxas watched; eyebrows rising as Axel dropped his hand, moving so that he was in front of Demyx, easily taking Kairi's limp form out of his hands. Demyx let out a yell as Kairi's dead weight was taken from him, letting out a curse at the red head. Axel shrugged, oblivious to what Demyx said turned around on his heel, smirk in place as he held Roxas's gaze.

"Here's the _Princess_, I can only imagine what _Xemnas_'ll do now . . ."

Roxas nodded, wordlessly taking Kairi from the red head. He glanced quickly at the sleeping girl, this being the first time that he'd actually seen her. He raised an eyebrow as Axel's words dropped into place; Kairi was a _Princess_?

_It was hardly important_, Namine scoffed.

He could imagine the blonde haired girl rolling her eyes.

Kairi was a Princess and he'd _rescued_ here; was he a Hero? A Prince?

This seemed like a fairy tale, more and more.

"If you screw this up," Roxas jumped out of his thoughts as Demyx spoke; his face masked in fury. "I swear; I'll _kill_ you myself."

Great, so two of these people wanted him dead now.

"Sure, whatever you say, Demyx."

Riku was supposed to be cocky, right? So, without another word, Roxas turned on his heel, trying not to show that Kairi's dead weight was starting to take its toll on his arms. Once around the corner, Roxas stopped, leaning against the wall. He shifted Kairi around in his arms, taking a deep breath. He never knew girls could be so _heavy_!

"You don't _honestly_ believe him, do you?" Demyx's sharp voice sounded, Roxas pushing himself away from the wall.

His footsteps drowned out Axel's response, but he could imagine the red head was smirking. _Could_ Axel have figured out who he was? But, if he had, wouldn't he have killed him right then and there? He wanted to do it in Twilight Town and he would have had an advantage with Demyx there.

_Unless_, Roxas thought to himself, a shiver running down his spine, _He wants to kill me by himself, somewhere I won't be found_ . . .

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_You pulled that off fairly well_, Namine commented, the doors of Castle Oblivion closing behind Roxas.

"_Fairly well_," Roxas grumbled, shifting Kairi in his arms again. "I did well, I _have_ Kairi."

_True_, Namine eventually said. _However, you need some acting lessons; but for the time being, we're alright_.

Roxas couldn't help but grin; Namine seemed a hard person to get a compliment from and _that_ would have to do. His trench coat rustled as the wind whipped its way around him; Kairi's hair swirling around her, his hood falling. Making his way down the hard to see path, the Castle growing smaller behind him, he came to a stop, placing Kairi slowly onto the ground. Shoving a hand into his pocket, Roxas wound his fingers around the pack of cards, sifting through them until he found the one showing Twilight Town's tower.

"I'll see you in Twilight Town then?" Roxas said, crouching down and winding his hand around Kairi's waist.

Muttering the words that Mickey had said would return him to his hometown. Thrusting the card before him, it left his hand, moving of its own accord, glowing white as it stopped above him and Kairi. Placing the girls' free hand over his shoulders, he lifted her up, Kairi leaning heavily against his side. The wind picked up around them, whipping their cloak and hair in every direction, until, moments later, the two disappeared, the wind dying down.

What Roxas didn't see before he left was the door to Castle Oblivion open, a single cloaked figure emerge, his eyes set on the dark path winding through the everlasting darkness. "Now _this _will be interesting," he smirked, catching Namine's name before the two figures disappeared.

He _knew_ who was under that hood; Namine needed to find better companions unless she wanted the game to end.

Things were starting to move . . . everything was going to get _suddenly_ more interesting . . .

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02/26/09


	6. 06: Destiny's Premonition

The Castle was _supposed _to be peaceful, a save haven.

But _nothing_ was ever peaceful in nightmares, when your demons came out of hiding.

In the midst of white and gold high count sheets, a brunette mumbled incoherently, shifting from side to side.

Sure, he might have been able to escape it all by day when he had more pressing matters to deal with; but at night _she_ haunted him.

He could see her face so perfectly, her laugh and her smile staring through the darkness at him.

Tonight, was different though . . . she wasn't happy, she was struggling against an unseen force.

_It was black, swirling around, pulling at her porcelain skin. The darkness seemed to consume her petite form as she stood there; looking around, her mouth moving soundlessly. She was alone, lost in the darkness. He tried to call out to the red haired girl, but failed as she ignored him. Soundlessly, he watched her nod to something, closing her eyes momentarily. His expression froze as he saw Kairi clasp her hands in front of her body, a faint glow surrounding her. _

_He didn't know why she was doing that; **why** was Kairi trying to open her heart?_

_He tried to yell at her, calling her name to no avail._

_Moments later, Kairi glow brightened slightly, pushing the darkness further away. Sora let out a breath of content, Kairi wasn't doing what he thought –_

_Then, his breath caught. _

_The darkness started to gain its ground again, eating away at the white glow. His eyes widened as Kairi fell into darkness, yelling her name, louder and louder to no avail. _

_Then, everything went silent as Kairi fell. _

_It felt like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest. _

_He was brought out of his thoughts though, when a males' voice sounded. It sounded familiar, like he _knew _it from somewhere, but . . . _

_Kairi's grip went lax as she fell, hitting the ground; her heart dropping from her hands, fizzling into a million sparkles before disappearing._

_Shaking off his stupor, he ran to the fallen girl, his footsteps echoing through the silent space. Stopping before the pink clad girl, he knelt down to grab her, but his hands went right _through_ her . . ._

_Catching his breath, his expression stuck between surprise and confusion, the darkness started to dim, a vibrant white creeping through it. His expression darkened as he caught sight of a silent figure watching the fiasco take place; slowly approaching the fallen girl. _

"_Sleep well, Princess_,"_ he muttered, quickly scooping up the slim girl. _

_The voice sent a shiver down his spine, it wasn't natural. _

_Then, just like that Kairi and the man disappeared, leaving him standing there alone._

_Kairi needed him and he had _no_ idea where she was . . ._

"KAIRI!"

The sheets rustled violently as the brunette kicked out, jerking awake. In the blink of an eye, Sora threw his cocoon of blankets away from him as he jolted upright. With Kairi in his mind, he flung himself out of bed, shivering when his bare feet hit the cold hardwood under foot. Shaking his head, his blue eyes coming into focus, Sora sighed, flopping back down onto the bed.

He was in the Disney Castle and it had only been a dream.

But . . . something nagged on his mind, making him bite down on his lip.

He could feel it, Kairi was in trouble; it _wasn't_ just a dream. He clenched his hands into fists; this was the second time Kairi needed him and he wasn't there to save her.

What kind of hero was he? He couldn't even protect her from the darkness.

"Kairi . . . you lost your heart again," Sora mumbled to himself; running a hand over his face. "Why am I so useless? I wasn't there, you _must_ hate me now."

Shaking his head, his anger getting him nowhere, Sora pushed himself off the bed. He knew what he had to do, he had it formed in his mind already; he was going after Kairi. Grabbing his coat from the back of the room's ornate chair, he threw it on haphazardly. As he opened the bedroom door, he unconsciously fished out the Oathkeeper Keychain Kairi had given him in Traverse Town.

He had to find Donald and Goofy; as much as they liked being back home, they had to get moving again.

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Roxas's feet touched down on the ledge of Twilight Town's Tower, the blonde staggering as his weight and Kairi's made him stumble, his footing limited. Holding his breath as he teetered on the edge – couldn't they have given him more footing? – he shot out his free hand, trying to get a hold of something. Finally getting his footing, Roxas let out his breath in a whoosh, his heart hammering in his chest. Looking around him, he slowly inched himself across the ledge, intent on the larger platform steps away.

Once onto the larger platform, Roxas let out a sigh; it was _finally_ over. He shook his head, glancing down at Kairi; how was he supposed to explain the heartless girl to his friends? He frowned as he glanced at the old, worn out bed sheet covering the opening to their hideout; hopefully they weren't there right now . . .

He sighed in relief, the room empty when he pushed the sheet aside. Making his way into the room, he moved Kairi around in his arms, dropping her onto an upturned box, leaning her up against the wall.

Shrugging out of the black cloak, he balled it up before chucking it into the corner. "Won't be needing that again," he muttered, watching it fall in a heap under their dart board. Sighing, he slumped down into the old beat up couch, fishing the cards Mickey had given him out of his pockets. "Now, what should I do with you?" Roxas mumbled, looking over the cards at Kairi.

What had Namine meant about Kairi's heart? She was _still_ alive; she was still warm to the touch; so she still had her heart. But, Kairi was indeed vacant, she hadn't said anything since he found her.

"Oh, Roxas! You're back!"

He jumped out of his thoughts, standing up quickly, hands balling into fists.

"Hmm, you're right – where have you been?"

Blinking, he noticed Olette, Hayner and Pence standing in the doorway. Olette grinned at him; Hayner crossed his arms over his chest while Pence held up his camera, taking _another_ candid shot. He didn't miss the inquisitive looks on their faces.

"Hey – who's _that_?" Hayner exclaimed, noticing Kairi in the corner. A smirk came over his features as he glanced back at Roxas, a gleam in his eyes. "What're you doing up here, huh?"

Olette's face went red, nudging Hayner with her elbow. "Stop that."

Hayner just smirked, draping an arm around Olette's shoulder, pulling her against his side. "I know what you're thinking, Olette," he whispered. "You wish it was you . . ."

Olette gasped, pushing Hayner away from her. "I'm not . . . _no_!" Hayner just grinned as she stumbled over her words. "Not like its any of your business anyway," she grumbled, pushing her hair back as she flitted over to where Roxas was.

Hayner just grinned, shaking his head; another victory for him.

"That's Kairi," he said, unsure what to say. "It's a long story how she got here; I don't fully understand it myself." Yes, that would have to work. It was then that he noticed they were holding _something_ in their hands. "What've you got there?"

"This?" Olette grinned holding out a blue gem to him. "They were from the Struggle Tournament's trophy – we _won_ Roxas! We beat Seifer and took first place," Olette glanced down at the gem she held. "The announcer called them _Summons_, isn't that a weird name?"

"This one's for you," Pence said, tossing a gem at Roxas.

Roxas caught it awkwardly, holding it out before him. He frowned slightly, shoving it into his pocket. "So how was the tournament?"

"Great!" Hayner said with a laugh, flopping down on an upturned crate. "You missed your fight against Seifer though; he was kind of angry about that, we had to forfeit that one."

Roxas let out a laugh; he could see Seifer's face. He shook his head as he saw Hayner shoot him a look. "Right, right, not funny."

"So, they won that one automatically. I just _barely_ managed to beat Fuujin – she's crazy, by the way – and Olette creamed Raijin just because he didn't want to hit a girl, it was perfect."

"Where were you anyway?" Olette asked, making her way across the room.

Hayner shot a grin at Roxas, wriggling his eyebrows as he glanced at Kairi. "Off with her, huh?"

"Um, you could say that, I guess," It would work.

"Is she okay?" Olette asked, kneeling in front of Kairi, confusion on her face. "She feels so cold and her eyes . . . maybe we should take her to a doctor?"

_Like that would do anything_, Roxas thought grudgingly to himself.

"She does look kind of shook up," Pence said, frowning.

Roxas shook his head; "She just _lost_ her heart." No doubt, they'd get it out of him anyways.

Olette blinked, glancing over her shoulder at Roxas. "She lost her heart?" she echoed, turning back to Kairi. "Now really, if its' over some _boy_, just forget him!" She nodded, placing her hands on her hips.

Kairi didn't reply, her lips moving wordlessly. Roxas shook his head, holding back a laugh at the irony in Olette's words; she didn't know the _half_ of it.

"Not in that way," he slowly said, trying to sort through the thoughts in his head. "I mean, her heart _isn't _there, she literally lost it –"

"Well, it couldn't have fallen out," Hayner said drily, elbowing Pence who let out a laugh.

"It's just shrouded in darkness," Roxas cast them a look. "Only her light can bring her out the darkness, I just don't know _where_ he is right now. But, if they're _really_ connected, he should feel her pain . . ."

"That's really romantic," Olette grinned, sitting down on the chair beside Kairi.

"How is she alive then?" Hayner asked, bored. "I hated Biology; but you'll _die_ without a heart."

"I asked the exact same question," Roxas said with a laugh. "But I never got a solid answer. I think her hearts still in there, somewhere, but she _just _lost sight of it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Hayner grumbled, twirling a dart between his fingers.

"I know," Roxas said, shaking his head. "I don't fully understand it either."

"You said Kairi was looking for someone – who is it?" Pence asked, glancing from Kairi to Roxas. "She isn't from around here, so how _did_ she get here?"

Roxas sighed; how was he supposed to explain Namine to them? "Well, I met this other girl named Namine . . . she was at Sunset Hill, waiting for the Ghost Train."

"How come we didn't see her then?" Hayner challenged. "I was at Sunset Hill this morning walking the dog."

"You mean _chasing_ him," Olette chided.

Hayner threw a glare at her. "I didn't see anyone there."

"She was waiting for the Ghost Train," Pence said, frowning. "Maybe you _couldn't_ see her, maybe she was a ghost."

Hayner started laughing, Olette trying – and failing – to hold her laughter back. Roxas shook his head as his friends laughed loudly; no doubt they thought he was crazy. He was such a _bad_ liar.

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The doors of the Twilight Train sprung open, one person exiting moments before the doors closed again. Clad completely in white, her aquamarine eyes look in her surroundings, the citizens of the town going about their own business. Slightly humming to herself, she started forward, running over her timetable. Pushing open the glass doors of the station, she had to shield her eyes as the sun was starting to set, hitting her square in the eyes.

She frowned momentarily; she needed a pair of sunglasses.

Shaking off the trivial thought, she picked up her pace; she _needed_ to find Roxas and Kairi. This couldn't wait till tomorrow; they didn't have _that_ much time. Pushing her blonde hair out of her eyes, she gripped her sketchbook tightly to herself as her feet hit the pavement heavily in her hurry. She could vaguely feel Roxas's presence, he was here somewhere . . .

Her eyes scanned the rooftops of the bustling urban town, her eyes stopping on the Twilight Town.

She grinned; bingo.

"Now, to get _all_ these issues dealt with," Namine sighed, her walk slowly turning into a run.

She didn't have _any_ time to waste.

Twenty minutes later, Namine let out a huff, leaning against the wall. Twilight Town's layout was . . . confusing. She had never taken her eyes off the Tower, but she kept winding up further away from the object in question. Gritting her teeth together, she pulled her sketchbook out, flipping quickly through the pages; locating the hastily drawn map of Twilight Town.

Glancing from the map to her surroundings and back again, she frowned, tracing her finger through the drawn streets. If her map was right; then she was in the residential district, she couldn't help but groan. Somewhere along the lines, she had taken a _wrong_ turn. "It figures," she said, tracing a path to the Tower. "Let's see, left, straight, right, left, straight, straight and up a hill . . . _simple_," she grumbled, pushing her bangs away hastily.

Nodding to herself, she folded her sketchbook up again, holding it tightly to her side. Her footsteps hit the cement rapidly, mentally going over her directions. A dozen wrong turns later, Namine allowed a small grin to crack her painted façade as she found herself in the shadow of the Twilight Tower.

"How am I supposed to get up there?" she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

With narrowed eyes she looked over the Tower, trying to find something plausible. There _had_ to be a ladder, a stairwell here somewhere, right? Sighing, she shook her head, there was nothing; just the main door to a built in office opening and closing every few seconds. Pushing her hair back again; who knew Twilight Town got _this_ hot in the summer; she started around the building, maybe there was a back entrance.

She could feel their presence nearby; they were here somewhere.

"He always said I was stubborn," she said idly, shaking her head. "Just my luck, the players are _just_ as stubborn . . ."

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". . . you're crazy, you know that right?" Pence slowly said, breaking the silence.

Roxas shot him a look, frowning. Olette shook her head, biting down on her lip. "It's hard to believe . . ."

"Did you get possessed or something?" Hayner asked with a laugh. "I mean really; some girls' waiting for the ghost train – one we _can't_ see, mind you – and now she's talking to you? You'll never live that down if it gets out."

Roxas sighed, throwing Hayner a withering look as he ticked things off on his hand. "I'm not crazy," he grumbled, leaning back on his palms. "It all really happened; Namine was there and then this other guy showed –"

"Correct," a light voice chirped, pushing the blanket over the entrance aside.

Roxas jolted as he heard the voice; he knew exactly who it was. His friends, however, jumped at the interruption, turning around. In the entrance stood a white clad girl, her blonde hair shining in the dimming light. She smiled at the three of them as she allowed the blanket to fall behind her, blocking out a majority of the sunlight. Hayner tensed as Namine moved further into their hideout; his eyes watching her intently. Olette picked herself up from her old chair, perching herself beside Kairi, her eyes wary while Pence fumbled with his camera.

Roxas shook his head at his friends' reactions; grinning widely. Pushing himself off his seat, he crossed the room to where Namine stood – oblivious to the stares she was receiving – draping an arm over her shoulders. "Guys, this is Namine."

Olette was the first to come out of the stupor that Namine's presence seemed to inflict on them. Standing up, she crossed the room, stopping in front of the two blondes, grasping the other girls' hands. "So, you're Namine," she shot a glare at Hayner, before smiling at Namine. "I didn't think you were a ghost – boys and their movies, huh? Roxas told us about you, kind of," Olette added, with a shrug. "I'm Olette – and that's Pence and Hayner."

Namine nodded to the three in turn. "Hello."

Olette let go of Namine's hands, placing her hands on her hips. "You're pretty, you know? I wish I looked like that . . ."

Namine smiled, shaking her head. "Trust me on this one; you _don't_ want to be like me."

Olette raised an eyebrow, say what? Before she could ask though, Namine had wriggled out of Roxas's grasp, her eyes having located the vacant red head. She ignored the small group as she quickly pushed past them, stopping in front of the red head. With a sigh, she shook her head, kneeling down in front of Kairi, reaching a hand out to push her red hair back. "So, it's true," she mumbled, grabbing Kairi's hand in hers; it felt so _cold_. "We weren't supposed to meet like this."

"These are good, are you an artist?" Hayner's words cut into Namine's thoughts; the blonde realizing her sketchbook wasn't resting in her lap. Her eyes narrowed as she saw him flipping through the pages. "Hey, this one looks like _Roxas_!"

Namine was on her feet in an instant. She quickly put herself in front of Hayner, hand outstretched, eyes ablaze. "Give me back my sketchbook."

Hayner blinked, that was surprise. Who knew she could be that demanding; she seemed to have such an innocent demeanor. He nodded, handing the sketchbook over, which Namine snatched back. "So, who was that?" he ventured, indicating to the book.

Namine shook her head. "It's not your concern."

Hayner raised an eyebrow, staring back at her. "If it involves Roxas; it involves us; we're his friends."

Namine didn't react to his harsh words, but merely shrugged. "It's not Roxas so drop it."

Hayner eyed her warily before shrugging it off. Maybe Roxas had a doppelganger – if she was waiting for a ghost train, then he guessed it was plausible. Namine sighed inwardly; glad to have avoided the subject of Sora. They didn't need to know and they didn't need to be dragged into the situation. Holding the sketchbook to her chest, she glanced over at Roxas, standing idly where she left him moments previous.

"Roxas, we need to talk."

Roxas nodded, he knew she'd bring it up eventually. Slowly, he shot a glance at his friends; Hayner staring heatedly in Namine's direction. Olette, upon noticing the look, nodded, flashed him a thumbs up. Pushing herself out of the chair, she waved her hands at the two boys, forcing them out of the hideout. Pence shrugged, busy with his camera; Hayner, on the other hand, let out a groan, rolling his eyes as he headed for the doorway. Olette grinned, holding the blanket back. "We'll be back in a couple, alright?"

Roxas nodded, and once the curtain fell back into place, he turned his attention back to Namine. "Alright, so let's get down to it."

Namine grinned slightly, glancing up at Roxas, her hands clenched together. "After this, you're going to have to leave Twilight Town – and _this_ time; you won't be returning quickly."

"I don't want them involved in this," he said with a nod.

"Wise decision," she said, moving over to the window; the quiet town beneath them. "Your life will never be the same again."

Roxas nodded; Twilight Town was so quiet and hardly changed; while his world had just been thrown into chaos. "Where am I supposed to go now?"

"The Twilight Path," Namine said immediately, staring at the goings on in the street below. "There is a slight chance Riku will still be there."

"Riku," Roxas mumbled, frowning. "Why do I have to meet him?"

"Riku knows the darkness well," Namine whispered, looking at her hands, a million expressions running across her face. "He will be the only one who's able to help you; he knows everything inside and out due to certain events –"

"And you're not going to tell me about it, are you?" Roxas cut in, rolling his eyes.

"That's right," Namine agreed, turning her back on the window, leaning back on the windowpane. "It's not my story to tell you. Riku knows Castle Oblivion and only through him can you return there."

"Hold it right there," Roxas said, getting up quickly, his eyes hard. "You want me to do _what_? I'm not going back there."

"I said; I need you to return to Castle Oblivion after all this; we need a spy – and you're the _only_ choice."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Hello, they tried to kill me, remember?" Angrily, he pulled the Keyblade Keychain from his pocket, tossing it to Namine who caught it awkwardly. "They know I'm the Keyblade Wielder – why would they trust me? I haven't changed!"

Namine laughed lightly, shaking her head. "You have a lot of questions. They will ask you why you've come there; the only answer is that you've decided the light isn't for you. You have to believe it and make it sound you, understand?"

Roxas nodded slowly, this was getting more complicated as this went along. Suddenly, he wished for the life he had; this wasn't as much fun anymore. "So, this Twilight Path . . . I get there how? And, what if Riku isn't there?" he added as an afterthought.

Namine smiled, holding up a hand to stop his questions. "I have known Riku for a while; we keep in touch now and again. As for the Twilight Path, it's not a place but more of a location. The only way there is by a train; that is how we all arrived here," Namine shook her head, glancing around them. "Now, we should be leaving soon before they track you back here again . . ."

Roxas rolled his eyes, letting out a laugh. "We can't _exactly_ take the Twilight Train, Namine – it's always packed with people . . ."

". . . at night?"

He didn't miss the mysterious glint in her eyes. "Well . . . I don't know . . ."

"Then, there's no problem," Namine said, grinning cheekily at Roxas.

"But, what if there's someone on there?" He shook his head, his eyes falling onto Kairi. "And, what about her?"

Namine sighed, glancing at Kairi as well. "She can't come with us. To enter the Twilight Path you must be completely sure of who and what you are; currently, Kairi is capable of neither. If she was to enter there in her current condition, she would be lost forever."

"So, I'm going alone then?" It seemed to be a popular theme.

Namine just grinned, silently walking over to him, tapping his forehead. "I'm not going to be far."

So, he was going by himself, _again_. Vaguely, he wondered what had happened to the old days when Olette would badger them about forgotten homework and their biggest fight was against Seifer.

"Why can't you go?" He grumbled, swatting her hand away.

"I have something that I must attend to," she said, distracted. "Be careful what you say about Kairi around Riku; he is very fond of her and I don't want to cause him unneeded stress. I will see you at the train station at eight o'clock sharp. Say your goodbyes to your friends and have them watch over Kairi for you."

Roxas nodded at the request, Namine smiled, picking her sketchbook up off the overturned crate.

"Wait!" Roxas shouted, seeing a white light slowly appear behind her. "Who's that brown haired boy?"

A ghost of a smile flitted across Namine's face. "That is Kairi's light – _that_ is Sora."

_Sora_ . . . he thought, momentarily dumbfounded as Namine disappeared before him. The boy in the picture looked like him; more then he would have liked. What was that supposed to mean anyway? A frown appeared on his features; a million new questions for Namine coming to mind. He made a mental note to ask her later.

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"Roxas!"

Deep in thought, his mind a mile away, he jerked at the sound of his name. Shaking his head, he glanced around him, his friends making their way up the slope, Market Square behind them. Olette let out a laugh as Hayner whispered something to them. Roxas frowned, his eyes narrowing before noticing what they held. Each one held a sea-salt ice cream; two in Olette's hands.

Olette laughed; taking a lick of her ice cream. "You want one too?" she jerked the spare one out of his grasp. "Well, I do have a spare one . . ."

Roxas lunged at the waving ice cream again, smirking as he felt his hands close around Olette's. The brunette stumbled, eyes widening as Roxas caught her hand, her balance swaying, the two falling to the ground. Olette groaned; Roxas's weight on her. She frowned, her hand closing around nothing. Eyes widening slightly, she glanced to the left; her jaw falling as she saw the sea-salt puddle a couple steps away.

"My ice cream!" Olette shouted, shoving at Roxas. "You jerk . . . augh! That cost ten munny!"

"Now, now, don't you two look comfy down there," came Hayner's voice.

The two didn't have to look at him, to know he had a smirk on his face. "Shut up," Roxas groaned, pushing himself up, offering a hand to Olette.

Olette grabbed Roxas's hand, standing before him moments later. "You know, you owe me an ice cream now . . ."

Roxas nodded, letting go of Olette's hand. "I think I still have some munny left over from my delivery today; I'll be back in a couple minutes," he said, rooting through his pocket. "Oh, can you watch Kairi for me? I might be gone for a while . . ."

Hayner rolled his eyes, shoving Roxas lightly in the back. "Seriously man, the ice cream shop is like three minutes from here!"

"Well . . ." How to put it? "I have to stop by the Twilight Path first."

Olette sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "But that's _all_ the way on Sunset Hill – that's going to take almost an hour!"

"What?" Roxas raised an eyebrow, _what_ was she talking about?

"It just opened up, it sells garden gnomes and stuff . . . is your mom trying gardening again?" she asked with a laugh.

"Er, yeah," It was the best answer going. "It closes early, so she sent me with an agenda!"

"That's moms for you," Hayner said with a shrug. "They just want to ruin summer vacation with chores."

"She should get my mom to help her," Pence said, his sea-salt ice cream gone. "She's got a green thumb."

"Yeah, I'll tell her later," Roxas agreed. It didn't escape his eyes that their shadows were getting longer – it was later then he'd expected. "Don't let anyone take Kairi from you, okay? I mean it."

Olette nodded. "You got it, and I won't let Seifer near her either."

"Speaking of Seifer," Hayner drawled; a gleam in his eyes. "You should try your trophy gem; ours didn't do _anything_!"

"Yeah," Pence agreed with a nod. "Weird stuff's been happening to you; maybe you can get it to do something . . ."

Roxas nodded; fishing through his pockets for the gem Olette had given him; where did he put it? He smiled as his fingers came in contact with the gem, pulling it out. He frowned as he looked at the blue orb to the red, yellow and green ones his friends possessed; they didn't _look_ any different. Grinning, he held it between his thumb and pointer finger, holding it up to the sunlight; his friends doing the same.

The gem lit up in the sun, but his eyebrows furled together; the middle darkening. "Is there _something_ in there?"

"What?" Olette looked intently at hers, shrugging before leaning over to look at Roxas's gem. "I don't see anything."

"You don't?" Roxas echoed, blinking a couple times. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. Refocusing his eyes however, he saw the middle was still dark. "Is there anything in yours?"

Olette shook her head, offering the red orb to him. Taking it from her, he held it up to the sun. He frowned; there wasn't _anything_ in there. Why was his gem the only one with something inside? He shrugged; there was no doubt about it, Namine had something to do with this. He forced down the urge to roll his eyes; the blonde haired girl seemed to be controlling his life.

"That's weird, I guess I'm just more special then you guys," he shrugged, flashing a grin at them.

"No, you're just crazy," Hayner said, a smirk on his features, the four breaking out into laughter.

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Demyx's eyes narrowed as he glared across the way at the chair Axel occupied. He _knew_ something was going on here – and that Axel was at the center of it all. He gritted his teeth together as Axel said something, his hands motioning to something; he knew how to keep an act up. His hands balled up into fists as he thought of Riku and Axel's calm reaction to his appearance; allowing him to take Kairi . . . were they _working_ together?

But, Axel said the credit was his regarding Kairi, so maybe . . .

"I told you, you **are**incompetent," Saix grumbled, narrowing his eyes in Demyx's direction, anger waving off him. "You couldn't even handle watching a defenseless girl? Pathetic," a drawl crept into his voice as he spoke.

Demyx shook his head, jumping out of his thoughts as he glanced at the hateful Nobody. "Shut up – I threw her into darkness, didn't I?"

Saix sneered at him, his lip curling up as he stared him down. "You still lost her."

Demyx clenched his teeth together, balling his hands into tight fists again. His eyes flicked from Saix to Axel – who sat calmly in his chair, hood pulled up to hide his expression – and back to Saix again. "The brat was dressed in the exact same outfit as us –"

"And, you just _gave_ the key to him?"

Demyx glared at him, his words failing. The cloaked figure on the highest chair sighed, barked out a command, the two Nobody's falling silent. "Axel," his icy voice cut through the silence, echoing through the room, his dark eyes falling on the cloaked red head. Axel's laid back posture straightened up at the sound of his name, his hood falling down. "You were there as well – who was the cloaked figure?"

Axel held back a smirk at the question; everything was going the way it was supposed to. He shrugged, replying with: "Riku."

"Riku," his voice echoed, his tone dead. "It would figure he would come; the Princess means a lot to him as well . . ."

Xigbar smirked, his hands tightening around his armrest. "The Keyblade Master has yet to arrive in the Fabled Countryside; taking out Riku in the meantime could be easy. A mere boy trying to protect a heartless Princess . . . he won't stand a chance."

"Do not underestimate Riku; him and that wretched King almost destroyed us from the inside last year – do not forget that. If it is Riku behind all this, he will not be defeated easily; he knows _what_ he's up against. Knowing him, he will have accomplices by now; he has been _silent_ for too long."

Remaining silent, Axel watched the goings on silently, inwardly smirking. This was actually working out better then planned; everything was being blamed on that weasel Riku; any more accusations and the Dark Wielder wouldn't be around much longer. One less thing he would have to worry about in the future. All that left was the Second Wielder of Light and have Sora find out his light has been eclipsed by darkness again. That news would cause distraught on him and he would leave himself open for an attack. That would only leave Namine – who, he suspected, upon finding out his players were disappearing one by one would come into the open as well.

All the pieces were starting to fall into place . . . one _by_ one . . .

"Since Kairi has vanished," Demyx grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "It can't be that _hard _to find her; she won't be moving to quickly."

Saix snorted; shaking his head. "You're going to find her . . . do you even _know_ where she is? You already showed us how you work . . . why should we trust you with her wellbeing again?"

Demyx noticed the smirk that appeared on Saix's face, twisting his expression. "As if I'd fall for the same trick twice!" he yelled, balling his hands into fists, seeing red.

"He's going to the Twilight Path."

Silence erupted in the circular room at Axel's words, the black clad group eyeing the red haired man, who sat there bored. "Spitting out some crap location, won't clear our suspicions of you."

Axel shrugged, brushing off Saix's words. "I can manipulate the Dark Wielder, I can convince him to let go of Kairi; that **I** have her heart."

"Why you?" Demyx shouted; his nose wrinkling up as he glared at him. "You failed at killing the Second Wielder; you've failed as well."

"You're _just_ an incompetent as Demyx," Saix smirked, glaring down at him.

Axel shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "DiZ showed up," he paused for a moment, allowing that fact to sink in as a brief smirk appeared on his face. "At least _I_ managed to convince the Princess to open herself to darkness . . ."

Silence hung in the chamber; Axel did what?

"Don't lie!" Saix shouted, his anger getting the better of him, his hands itching towards his broadsword. "Demyx did that – only useful thing he's done yet."

Axel smirked, his cold eyes falling onto Demyx; who sat ramrod straight in his chair, eyes hard and his mouth in hard line. No doubt about it; Demyx was pissed off _again_; he hadn't expected the tables to turn on him . . . "Demyx here got angry at our little Princess when she tried to find out about us; tossed her into Namine's old room. His anger getting the better of him, he refused to go near her, so I did it for him to make up for the Twilight Incident. I let him have the credit, but, if he's going to play dirty and make me the bad guy, I can play the game too."

Demyx's eyes narrowed; that all sounded _too_ rehearsed.

Saix snorted, casting a cynical look at Demyx. "So, you really are incompetent; it's too bad you didn't die last year too."

Demyx's hand curled up into a fist, it taking all his restraint not to send his water sprites after him. He'd aim for his nose . . . a broken nose would go perfectly with that scar of his. Before he could react however, the icy voice of their Superior broke into the silence. "Axel; you will go to the Twilight Path, _only_ because you can manipulate him. Afterwards, you will put an end to the Second Wielder; Roxas."

Axel nodded, his mind whirling. He could do this in _one_ sweep; retrieve Kairi, destroy Riku and Roxas; he knew Namine would want the two to meet (if they hadn't already) on the Twilight Path.

It was all really simple . . .

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03/06/09


	7. 07: Twilight Trouble

The Twilight Tower chimed out eight o'clock, echoing through the urban town.

Roxas frowned, glancing up at the looming tower as he shoved his hands into his pockets. His footsteps were drowned out by the booming chimes, his sights set on the train station up ahead. Sighing, as he reached the top of the ascent, he brought a hand out of his pocket to shield his eyes from the setting sun. Reaching the top of the ascent, Roxas quickly made his way towards the station's glass doors, stopping a couple feet before it.

Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel, looking at his surroundings.

The Twilight Tower loomed over the town, him and his friends' hideout on the other side of the clocks face. He was going to miss them; they didn't even _know_ where he was going – if they'd see him again. His mom thought he was going to his fathers for a couple weeks and, he hated to admit it, he was going to miss Seifer and his crew – kind of. Glancing around his home once more, he nodded to himself before turning around, pushing the glass doors open.

Eight-oh-five; his watch said.

He cast a wary glance at the ticket booth – did he need one? What was he supposed to say anyway; the Twilight Path? Shaking his head, Roxas past by the booth – maybe Namine had bought their tickets already?

His footsteps echoed against the stairwell, the station empty. Namine _would_ be right – no one would be on the train at this hour. Why was Namine _always_ right? Upon reaching the top platform, Roxas stopped, raising an eyebrow as he looked around. It was _empty _; there wasn't anyone there . . .

Was Namine fooling him – planning to ditch him, let the Organization have him? He raised an eyebrow; weren't girls always early?

He was jolted out his thoughts as he heard a muffled whistle, the gears of the stations doors opening to allow the oncoming train entrance. Slowly, Roxas started forward, glancing around for Namine – where _was_ she? He watched with narrowed eyes as the train entered the station, slowing down before coming to a stop. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowed as its engine shut off, steam escaping from underneath as it's' gears turning before the doors unlocked, opening.

One person exited the train.

Roxas blinked. "Namine?"

The blonde haired girl grinned, stopping on the edge of the platform, her hand resting on the side of the open door. "Hello Roxas – are you ready to go?"

"Hey," he shook his head, shaking off his stupor. "How'd you get on there – were you at Sunset Station, then? The train only runs from here to there . . ."

Namine shook her head, beckoning him to follow her as she turned on her heel, heading back inside the train. "That's a secret – let's go."

Roxas nodded slowly, eyebrows coming together in confusion. Why did she always have to speak in riddles? Quietly, he followed Namine into the train, the doors springing shut, Namine's sketchbook open. With uttering a word, the train sprung to life once again, causing both teens to slightly loose their balance. Catching their footing as the train started rumbling down the track once again; Namine gripped her sketchbook tightly, sitting down in one of the seats. Roxas followed suit, dropping into the row of seats opposite hers, his gaze moving from Namine to her sketchbook and back again.

"I can see you have questions," Namine said, not looking up from her sketchbook. "You want to know how we will reach the Twilight Path."

Roxas nodded, an eyebrow rising; what was written in Namine's book anyway?

It was eerie how she knew everything before he even spoke it aloud . . .

"I did some digging around; I'm rather good at it," Namine supplied before Roxas could say anything. "This train will take us to the edge of Twilight Town, before we are plunged into complete darkness. However, when we reach the end of this town, you will be going on your own. I am unable to enter the Twilight Path at this point in time."

Roxas's expression froze. "Wait – I'm going _alone_? I thought you said you were coming too, h-how, _what_ am I supposed to do then?" He shook his head, his thoughts muddled.

Namine looked at his calmly, smiling. "Your Summon Gem will lead you there – you were given that specific one for a reason."

Roxas didn't miss the look she gave her sketchbook – what was that things power? Frowning, he reached into his pocket, looking for the round gem. Finding it, he pulled it out, holding it out between him and Namine. "So . . . this is a Summon Gem? What am I supposed to do with it anyway?"

"You will know when the time comes," Namine said, leaning back into the cushions. "All you have to do is call it forward."

Roxas let out a groan, tossing the gem onto the seat beside him. "This is getting annoying you know; why won't you give me a straight answer?"

Namine bit her lip, looking down, wringing her hands together. "I was instructed not to say too much during my meeting with you – I'm sorry."

Roxas forced down the urge to roll her eyes; someone was pulling Namine's strings as well. "So, what's inside this thing anyway?" he had picked the gem back up, tossing it between his hands.

Namine watched the gem pass between Roxas's hands, before shrugging slightly. "I'm not one hundred percent sure; but it will be a creature with a pure heart whose world has fallen into darkness."

Roxas nodded; that _didn't_ really explain anything. "A summon," he mumbled to himself, bringing the gem closer to his eyes, staring intently. "I wonder what it is . . ."

Turning around in his seat, his feet underneath him, he held the small gem up to the window, the setting sun illuminating the inside. Blinking a couple times, he saw the darkened center where the unknown creature slept, waiting to be called forward. He couldn't help it as a grin appeared on his features, as he tucked the gem safely back into his pocket.

As he turned back around, slumping into his seat – Namine busy looking at her sketchbook again – he couldn't help but shake his head. When Namine had first contacted him, he wanted _nothing _to do with this, and now, heading to the Twilight Path; he was . . . **excited** . . .

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In the usual spot, Olette crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrows coming together as she looked at Kairi. The red head sat in the same spot Roxas had placed her, staring vacantly at nothing. She wondered what was _wrong_ with her. Questions swam in her mind, no answers in sight. Did Kairi _really_ not have a heart? What was with Namine, she just appeared out of nowhere.

She shook her head; what had Roxas gotten himself into with these two strange girls? It seemed amusing, their introverted Roxas, consorting with two strange girls and then just _running_ off like that . . . that wasn't her Roxas.

Shaking her head, she crossed the distance between her and Kairi, kneeling down in front of the girl. Something had happened to her; that was all Roxas would tell her. "What happened to you, Kairi? Roxas said you were in trouble . . ."

She was curious to know what happened.

She raised an eyebrow as she noticed Kairi move slightly, her lips moving wordlessly. She frowned; could Kairi _hear_ her? Maybe . . . maybe she was waking up? She grinned; if Kairi did wake up . . . Roxas would _have_ to notice her, right? It would also give her another girl to hang out with; Hayner and Pence were . . . _unique_.

"Now, what was it you said, Kairi?" Olette said, standing up with a stretch. "I couldn't hear you," she mumbled, reaching for Kairi's arm, draping it over her shoulder, the red head surprisingly light.

"Sora . . ."

Olette paused, a small grin appearing on her features as she glanced at the red head. She had gotten Kairi to speak . . . maybe . . . maybe she was waking up? Olette shrugged, she didn't really know; this was all over her head.

"So, is this Sora your boyfriend?"

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"_Sora_ . . ."

Sora skidded to a stop, halfway down the Disney Castle corridor. The magicked brooms paid little attention to him, continuing on with their task. Sora's eyes widened, glancing around his surroundings wildly, he had just heard her . . .

"Kairi?"

The corridor was empty, as expected. The red head wasn't here, just like he _knew_ she wouldn't be. He shook his head with a sigh; he wanted to see her so bad, it was just wishful thinking – he knew he couldn't go home without Riku. He couldn't face Kairi otherwise. Biting down on his lip, he started up again, his mind whirling. He hadn't seen Kairi for years, she was safe on the Islands, but she sounded in _trouble_.

"Kairi . . . where are you . . .?"

He had a feeling Kairi _needed_ him.

He let out a curse under his breath, his pace slowly turning into a run. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest as something tightened around it. His eyes widened slightly, one hand flying to his chest. He was connected to Kairi . . . that _feeling_ . . . Kairi **was** in trouble. He grinned slightly as he saw the golden doors up ahead, the King's large chambers on the other side. Out of breath, he stopped before the big doors, pushing them open.

"Donald! Goofy!" he yelled, bursting through the doors.

The chamber had a high ceiling, a plush red carpet cut through the middle of the white marbled floor. At the other end of the corridor on a slightly raised platform, two ornate chairs decorating it; were his companions. Crossing the distance, his steps measured, he could just imagine the scowl on Donald's face as his foot tapped in annoyance, arms crossed over his chest. Upon getting closer, he noticed he was right on account of the duck, whereas Goofy; simply had a smile on his face, glancing at the Keyblade Wielder. Queen Minnie and Daisy simply looked at Sora, neither anger nor curiosity appearing on their features.

"What's going on Sora?" Goofy asked, raising an eyebrow at the brunette.

Sora grinned, shaking his head, but sighed as he glanced at them – he knew they were happy to be home again. "I'm sorry Queen Minnie, but we _have_ to leave here – immediately."

"What?" Donald screeched, his expression bordering between anger and confusion.

Sora ignored Donald's outburst – he had expected it anyway – as he made his way up the few steps, passing his companions before stopping before the mouse queen. "I'm sorry for our short stay, your majesty, but we have some pressing matters to –"

"It's your light, isn't it?" Queen Minnie interrupted, nodding knowingly.

Sora blinked back his surprise – how did she know? He frowned slightly as he looked down at her. "How did you . . .?"

"Kairi should be okay," Goofy said slowly. "We saw her at Kingdom Hearts . . . she was being sent back to the Islands . . ."

Sora shook his head, glancing from Minnie to the Royal Knight behind him. "I know she was sent back there, but . . . I had a dream about her. She was, she fell into darkness . . . and then on my way down here, it felt like _my_ heart was being ripped out – like I couldn't breath." Sora closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips as he slumped down onto the platform. "I know Kairi's in trouble somehow . . ."

"Oh phooey," Donald said with a stamp of his foot, waving Sora's comments away. "It was just a dream – those things aren't real."

Daisy shook her head, sighing. "Don't be insensitive, he misses her," she rolled her eyes, hitting him on the head.

Donald grumbled, glaring at her.

"It's a premonition," Queen Minnie said, breaking the silence, looking intently at Sora. "If your hearts are as connected as you believe them to be," she held her hands up to stop Sora's words, "Then you will have to leave the safety of this castle immediately. If Kairi has fallen into darkness and remains there for too long, your connection will eventually _break_ and she will not be able to return to you."

Sora's eyes widened; his jaw dropping. Kairi _wouldn't_ return to him? He shook his head – they _had_ to hurry! "Thank you, your majesty," he said, pushing himself off the floor. Brushing the imaginary dirt from his pants, he flashed a grin at his companions. "Come on guys – we've got to go."

Goofy nodded, smiling at him, picking up his Knight Shield. Donald crossed his arms over his chest, while Daisy muttered lowly behind Donald. Shaking his head, Donald turned, muttering something to Daisy who frowned before she nodded. Turning his back on her, mage's staff in hand, he couldn't help but smirk. They had done nothing for so long – it was time to get back out there, hopefully to vanquish the darkness for good this time . . .

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"So, this is where you keep all your Gummi pieces?" Sora mused, looking around the gadget filled garage.

His footsteps echoed against the metallic floors, the entire room lined with shelves crammed full of odds and ends. Interlocking his hands behind his head, he couldn't help but glance around. Whirling gizmo's hung from the ceiling; changing colours, whistling nosily. Sora let out a whistle – he could just see Cid here; the old pilot would have a hay day; Chip and Dale had every piece of machinery available to tinker with.

"Where are those chipmunks?" Donald quaked, looking around the large terminal, their colourful Gummi hanging before them.

"We're right here!" Chip chirped, jumping up onto the control panel before them, a blueprint in hand.

"We're setting off soon," Sora said, pushing past Donald. "Do you think you can finish the updates quickly?"

Chip nodded, tossing the blueprint at Dale before he saluted to the trio, heading towards the ship. "We'll have it up and running in no time – where are we going this time?"

Silence.

Chip and Dale paused, looking quizzically over their shoulders. Donald and Goofy shrugged, casting each other a glance before looking over at the brunette.

"Where _are_ we going Sora?" Donald quaked impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest again as he tapped his foot.

Sora blinked – he hadn't thought of that.

"Did you see where Kairi was, hyuck?" Goofy asked seeing Sora's hesitation.

Sora sighed, running a hand over his face. He had been so intent on finding Kairi that he hadn't thought of _where_ she was. Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest, deep in thought. What was the best way to explain what he had thought? He hadn't recognized Kairi's surroundings . . .

"I saw her . . . standing there in the darkness," Sora started slowly, biting down on his bottom lip. "Someone else was with her though – it looked like it was another girl. Then . . . Kairi _called_ to me, like she knew I was listening. It looked like it was twilight out."

"Twilight?" Goofy echoed, bringing a hand to his chin, his brain running through the different worlds they had been to. "Could it have been Agrabah?"

Sora shook his head. "No, the girl with her wasn't Jasmine."

"Then it must be a new world," Donald said, nodding to his own statement.

"You said it looked like twilight?" Queen Minnie's voice rang out, echoing through the room. The three jumped at the unsuspecting voice, whirling around, weapons drawn only to find Minnie and Daisy at the bottom of the stairwell. "It was most likely Twilight Town."

"Twilight Town?" Sora echoed, frowning. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

Donald and Goofy shrugged, looking at each other and then Sora. "We've never been there before."

Sora brought his eyebrows together in confusion, shaking his head. "Then, why does it sound so familiar?" Sora shook his head, allowing a small smile to appear on his features. "I guess it really _doesn't_ matter. If Kairi's there, I'm going; it's been so long since I've seen her."

Goofy nodded, placing his hand on Sora's shoulder. "If Kairi's there, we have to go. C'mon Donald, Sora, lets go."

Donald gave a quack in agreement, calling something to Daisy before following the two towards the Gummi Ship, Chip and Dale working quickly. Goofy threw a wave over his shoulder as he ascended the small ramp, disappearing into the ship. Sora paused for a moment outside of the ship, debating. Shaking his head, he headed into the familiar ship, saying that they'd be back soon, Kairi with them.

"I hope he finds his light," Queen Minnie muttered, watching the brunette disappear into the Gummi Ship, the hatch closing up behind him.

Inside the familiar ship, Sora flopped down in his usual seat, the red haired girl on his mind. "I'm coming for you Kairi – just hold out a little bit longer . . ."

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On the outskirts of the Sandlot, space seemed to warp momentarily before a portal appeared, small at first, but growing, darkness swirling around inside. A black clad man appeared, his red hair clashing against the darkness around him. Stepping out of the darkness, Axel smirked, his eyes looking around his surrounding, calculating his surroundings.

Twilight Town; he tried to resist rolling his eyes. Compared to some of the other worlds he had been too; this town was _boring_. Everything was brown and . . . ugh, he didn't even know how to phrase it. Shaking off his thoughts, he glanced around him; he could feel Kairi's presence, but _where_ could she have been hidden? He didn't feel Roxas's presence, but there was no way the Keyblade Wielder could jump worlds. His features twisted up; Namine, _however_, could do it, the girl had a couple unique talents.

"Now, where would he have gone too?" he grumbled, balling his hands into fists. "We're not finished with you and the Princess yet . . ."

"Hey _you_!"

Axel stopped, narrowing his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. He rolled his eyes as he saw the speaker; it was the blonde haired punk from earlier. Turning his back on him, he continued; he didn't have time for this. Seifer gritted his teeth together, grumbling under his breath. Raijin just shook his head while Fuujin smirked, following after Seifer, who stalked off after Axel, cutting the red head off.

"We're not done here – did you kill Roxas?" Axel raised an eyebrow, Seifer's features distorted. "The kid's vanished."

Axel raised an eyebrow, his mind whirling. Roxas _wasn't_ here anymore. But, he could still feel Kairi's presence – why would he leave her here alone? If he went to all that trouble just to kidnap her, why would he leave her just like that? He narrowed his eyes as the silver haired girl appeared at his side, a menacing look on her face. Momentarily, he wondered what the girls' heartless would be like, he shook his head, he didn't _really_ want to know.

"Where'd he disappear too?"

Seifer smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why should I tell you?" he grumbled, shrugging off Axel's harsh stare to smirk at his two companions. Fuujin nodded, her face darkening slightly while Raijin nodded, gripping his weapon. "If you want to know – you'll have to beat me in a brawl."

"Seifer can do it, y'know!" Raijin said, pumping his fist into the air.

"Annihilation," Fuujin said, eyes narrowed.

Axel smirked, his eyes alight. This kid was a _fool_, no matter how tough he talked.

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Olette pushed her hair back, huffing as she jostled Kairi around slightly. Fumbling through her pockets, she grinned as her fingers came in contact with her sunglasses, slipping them onto her face. At the base of the tower, she wondered ideally how Roxas and Kairi got up there; the girl was heavy after a while. She was just thankful that the elevator was up and working . . . the clock tower's keeper turned it off when he left at night.

Shaking her head, she glanced at Kairi; this might just help her with her homework assignment. "Maybe I should write about all these strange occurrences . . ." No doubt, her teacher wouldn't be impressed.

"Olette!"

She jumped slightly, lost in her own thoughts. Blinking, she looked over her shoulder, grinning as she saw Hayner running towards her, a grin on his face. She raised an eyebrow as she came to a stop, waiting for him, he could see he had something in mind. "What's up?"

"Kairi looks a little heavy for you," Hayner said, ignoring her comment. "We've been watching you from the Ice Cream shop over there."

Olette glared at him. "Well, _thanks_ for your help – now, where's my Ice Cream?"

Hayner shrugged. "The shop's _right_ over there – go get one; I'll hold Kairi for you."

"You'd like that," Olette grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Hey, Kairi actually spoke to me though . . ."

Hayner blinked. "She did?" he raised an eyebrow, leaning in to get a better look at the red head. "What'd she say?"

"She called for someone named Sora – I _think_ he's her boyfriend."

Hayner frowned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Why do _all_ the cute girls always have to have a boyfriend?"

Olette glared at him, placing her free hand on her waist. "_All the cute girls_? Well, thanks a whole bunch Hayner."

Hayner rolled his eyes, letting out a laugh. Shaking his head, throwing Pence a look, he ruffled Olette's hair with a smirk. "You're too wrapped up in Roxas, you don't count."

"What're you talking about?" Olette said, glaring at him. "I don't have a _crush_ on Roxas!"

Hayner smirked at her. "I never said you had a crush on Roxas . . ."

Olette let out a groan, glaring at him. "That's a dirty trick!"

Hayner shrugged. "Whatever, it's _obvious_ anyway."

Olette shook her head, frowning as she looked down at her yellow and white shoes. "It is _not_ – hey, where's Pence?"

Hayner blinked, pointing back the way he came, a grin appearing on his features again. Olette raised an eyebrow; _what_ was Pence up to? "He went down to the Sandlot – Seifer's having a street brawl," Olette rolled her eyes; that was _hardly_ interesting. "But, he's getting trashed by this new guy – Vivi said he appeared out of nowhere. You want to come too?"

Olette let out a laugh, Hayner only spoke that fast when he was in a hurry, excited about something. There was no doubt about it, he wanted to see his brother get trashed – god knows he couldn't do it. "Sure, let's go, I can't miss this!"

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Seifer grumbled under his breath, his knees hitting the hot pavement roughly. Gritting his teeth together – he _wasn't_ going to loose face here – he brought his hands into fists, pushing himself off the ground. He glared at the red head, who held some sort of weapon he'd never seen before; the items hot to the touch. He frowned; he'd _never_ seen anything like that in Twilight Town before.

"C'mon Seifer, you can take him, y'know!" Raijin shouted from the sidelines.

Seifer shook his head, bringing everything back into focus. "Cakewalk," he heard Fuujin say, her tone dead.

"Is that all you have?" Axel smirked, taunting him on, holding his Chakrams loosely. "Why, that was _hardly_ worth the effort." Axel shook his head as he saw Seifer get up off the cement, coat singed, gripping his weapon tightly. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes; this kid didn't know when to give it up. "Well then, let's continue."

_Draw this out all you want to; I'll get that information_, he thought, his Chakram's spinning, heating up.

There was no way he was going to be beat, he shook his head as he brought his weapons back once again before flinging them in Seifer's direction. Axel knew he wouldn't be able to escape – no one had before – as he set the Chakram's flying, closing in on the blonde from both directions.

"You're going to wish you stayed down," he said calmly, watching the Chakram's close in on their target.

Upon impact, he let out a smirk, hearing the blonde let out a yell. Narrowing his eyes as his Chakram's flew out of the dust that had been stirred up; he caught them effortlessly, looking impatiently as the dust settled. If that kid _still_ tried to get up, he was stupid; plain and simple. His eyes flickered to his friends; who glanced at each other, confusion on their face. Obviously, their _leader_ had never lost before . . . how interesting, he thought.

"Now, about that information I wanted . . ."

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Olette narrowed her eyes, glaring at Hayner's retreating form. She let out a sigh as he turned the corner, out of sight. That was _so_ like him; he took off the second after she agreed to come with him, leaving her to bring Kairi with her.

"This is so not fair," she grumbled, the corner leading to the Sandlot way ahead of her. "By the time I get there, it's going to be over!"

Muttering to herself, thinking of what she'd do to Hayner later, she jolted out of her thoughts as she heard a yell, echoing through the streets. Her head shot up, her eyes wide as she looked around her surrounding. Frowning to herself, she cast a glance at Kairi, trying to pick up her pace.

"That sounded like Seifer . . ." Was it _already_ over? She was going to kill Hayner later. "No fair . . . come on Kairi, I _know_ you want to see this; Seifer's never been beaten before! I doubt it'll ever happen again," she added as an afterthought.

Olette stumbled slightly in her hurry, Kairi's dead weight starting to affect her balance. She narrowed her eyes at the red head, her lips moving wordlessly – why couldn't she wake up? Suddenly, this wasn't as interesting anymore.

"Olette, _hurry_ it up," Hayner called, poking his head around the corner for a second, disappearing moments later.

"Oh, come _on_ Kairi!"

She glanced at her, wondering if it would be possible to just drop the other girl here for a couple minutes.

"_He's coming . . ."_

Olette paused, raising an eyebrow. Who was coming? She shook her head, picking up her pace again, slowly. "Do you mean Sora?"

Kairi's mouth moved wordlessly, making Olette groan. This was going _nowhere_! She seemed to be able to only slightly speak, once and a while. Looping her arm around Kairi's waist, she brought her closer to her own body, shifting her weight around to balance. "Well come on, we can still see something – maybe it's Sora."

Minutes later, Olette came around the corner, the Sandlot at the bottom of the small slope. She noticed the lot was pretty full; the brawl seemed to have drawn everyone from their high school. She shook her head as she noticed a majority of the faces, no doubt they all wanted to see Seifer defeated. Finding Pence and Hayner in the crowd – Vivi having held them a close spot – she made her way slowly towards them.

She narrowed her eyes as she approached them, oh boy, did she have something to say to Hayner. "You totally – _whoa_, what happened to Seifer?"

Her comments for Hayner disappeared as she noticed Seifer, standing in the middle of the _arena_, on the ground; Fuujin and Raijin behind him. Seifer was kneeling on the ground, out of breath, the edges of his white coat torn and frayed. Fuujin had a scowl on her face as she glared at the red head whereas Raijin glanced from Seifer to Axel; probably wondering how he was beaten. Shaking her head, Olette tore her eyes away from the Disciplinary Committee to the red head looming before them.

She let out a gasp, backing up, Hayner raising an eyebrow. "That's him –"

"Yeah, he defeated Seifer – it's too bad we missed it all."

She rolled her eyes, jabbing him with her elbow. "That's the guy Roxas warned me about . . ."

"That's him?" Hayner muttered, glancing back at the red head warily. "He'd have _no_ problem beating you Olette."

Olette cast a glance at the limp red head, biting down on the bottom of her lip. She shook her head, the pieces coming together. "Is that what you meant by it, Kairi? _He's coming_ . . . is that Sora?"

"Guys!" Pence called, maneuvering his way between the people separating them. "You _missed_ it all, it was great. Oh, hey Kairi – has she woken up yet?"

Olette groaned and Hayner shook his head; Pence would have to yell wouldn't he? Holding her breath, Olette glanced around Hayner, her eyes widening as she noticed the red head looking in their general direction. The smirk on his features didn't escape her as she ducked her head back around Hayner, heart beating wildly. The Chakram's he held in his hands disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, his footsteps measured as he made his way towards the crowd.

"Here he comes," Olette moaned, stepping back slightly, the crowd starting to disappear as the attention turned to them.

Hayner shook his head, looking from Olette to the red head, his features darkening. If he could do _that_ to Seifer, he didn't want to know what he could do to Kairi. "Olette, get **out** of here – we can handle this."

"But –"

"Shut up," Hayner snapped. "Get the hell out of here, I mean it."

Olette bit down on her lip, deliberating. "Alright," she said slowly, nodding. "We'll be at the hill."

"We'll meet you there."

Olette nodded, slowly turning her back on her friends, trying to blend in with the thinning crowd. Making her way across the lot, Olette let out a sigh as she rounded the corner, out of view. She slowed her pace down – she _hated _leaving her friends like this – she took a deep breath, her heart still hammering against her ribcage. "Come on Kairi," she mumbled, starting up again, her legs starting to protest. "I can't let Roxas down . . ."

Hayner glanced back one last time, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding as Olette and Kairi disappeared around the corner. He glanced at Pence beside him, his camera discarded in favour for the Struggle Tournament's weapons. Locking eyes with him, he nodded, turning his attention back to the red head, who had stopped a couple feet before them.

"What do you want with Kairi?"

The man just smirked, glancing from one to the other, his eyes taunting them. "I don't need you two, you'll only _waste_ my time," The two didn't move, Hayner glaring furiously at him, hands balled into fists. "The Princess of Heart belongs to us."

Hayner blinked, taken off guard. Kairi was a _Princess_?

He shook his head. "Whatever – you're not getting her."

Axel just smirked, stretching his hands out before him, his Chakram's returning. "We'll see about that . . ."

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"Kairi . . . why is he after you?" Olette mumbled, her breathing labored, her feet wanting to give out from under her.

Kairi's mouth moved silently, no words coming out, and then; "Princess."

Olette paused, her eyes widening as she looked over at Kairi, as if seeing her for the first time. "Princ – are you a _Princess_?"

Kairi remained silent. Olette sighed; Kairi's one word answers starting to get on her nerves. She rolled her eyes as she saw the ramp before her – she couldn't _wait_ to get on the train; she could finally sit down. Starting up the ramp, her pace slow, she kept her eyes trained on the large garage door at the top of the slope . . . she could do this.

"Hmm?" Olette stopped halfway up the slope, her eyes falling to the coloured board. "Great, they _finally_ updated the job board – I'll have to remember to come back later," she added, passing by the board with a frown.

Shifting Kairi's weight slightly with a grumble – she had a couple things to say to Roxas – she grinned as she reached the top of the slope, the large garage before her. She grinned to herself, the Twilight Station just up ahead and around the corner. If she managed to get there, he wouldn't be able to take Kairi without making a big scene . . .

"You know running is useless," Olette stopped her eyes narrowing at the ghostly voice. She took a step backward as a pool of darkness appeared before her, the red haired man stepping out of it, a smirk on his face. "It'd be so much easier for you to just hand Kairi over now."

Olette glared at him, her features guarded. "What do you want with Kairi?" She shook her head. "What'd you to do Hayner and Pence?" Silence. "Answer me!"

"The Princess is important to me," he said after a moments' silence. "She has a tie to the Keyblade Wielder – something we cannot ignore."

_Keyblade Wielder_?

". . . Roxas?" she mumbled quietly.

"So, you know about the Keyblade Wielders as well?"

Olette brought her lips together in a tight line. What did he want with Roxas? She gritted her teeth together; did this have something to do with Namine? She glanced behind him, the Twilight Station standing tall over the building, she was _so_ close . . .

"What about my friends?" she demanded, trying to change the subject. "What did you do to them?"

Axel smirked, holding her fierce gaze. "Want to avenge your friends?"

Olette broke eye contact with him, looking at the ground. She wasn't surprised he'd beat them . . . not after what he had done to Seifer. She shook her head, tightening her grip on Kairi, reaching back to her pockets, fishing inside for her weapon.

"How dare you," she yelled, her voice echoing through the empty street. Sure, the garage was always closed on Sunday's, but there were people around . . .

"They won't hear you," Axel said, guessing her plan. "They _can't_ hear –"

"What have you done to them?" she yelled, panic evident in her tone.

"They are fine," he said with a shrug. "In this time stop, only you, the Princess and I exist here – no one can help you."

Olette blinked, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She was _alone_. She took a deep breath, looking at Axel again – who was slowly closing the distance between them – he must _really_ want Kairi . . .

"Why?" she yelled, backing up again. "Why do you want her _so_ bad?"

"She is a Princess of Heart; she holds the Keyblade Wielders heart. With her in our grasp, Sora **will** come running."

"Sora," Olette mumbled looking momentarily at Kairi. "You mentioned him . . ."

The comment didn't escape Axel's hearing, which made him smirk. Kairi was reacting to Sora's presence; Sora must be close by then. He gritted his teeth together, narrowing his eyes at the girl; it was time to end this.

"If you just hand over Kairi, it will all be over."

Olette narrowed her eyes, a sudden braveness overtaking her. "No!" she shouted as she stopped backing up, squaring her shoulders. She _wasn't_ going to run away – she had promised Roxas. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "How do you want to do this, then?"

Axel blinked, raising an eyebrow at the brunette's boldness. "Excuse me?"

Keeping her eyes on Axel, Olette removed Kairi's arm from around her shoulder, placing the red head on the ground. "You want her, but _can't_ have her. If you want her, you'll have to beat me first."

Axel smirked; his Chakram's appearing out of thin air. "You'll regret this, kid."

Taking a deep breath to calm her beating heart, Olette reached back, pulling a collapsible tin rod out of her back pocket, extending it as she moved. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Axel, determined. "Let's get this over with."

"You'll regret this," Axel smirked, bringing his Chakram's back, before letting them fly.

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_Clang_.

Olette's knees hit the pavement with a thud, her rod rolling a couple feet away from her. She bit her lip – she _wasn't_ going to cry – as she balled her hands up into fists, holding them against her chest. Blinking rapidly, her eyesight blurring from her tears, she wiped it away with her arm, slowly opening her hands. She let out a sigh, tears coming to her eyes once again. Her hands were red, scorched from her weapon. Shaking her head, she glanced at her weapon; glowing a light red from the fire the red head had conjured.

"Well then, it seems Kairi belongs to me now."

Olette's head shot up, her eyesight still blurred, she watched him move past her, towards the heartless girl. She watched as he scooped her up effortlessly, turning around to look at her once more, a smirk on his face. "I told you kid . . . you _wouldn't_ be able to beat me. It was over before we even started."

Olette, still clenching her hands to her chest, the pain evident on her face, glared at him. She couldn't_ think_ of anything to say; she had _lost_. Roxas was going to be so mad at her when he came home . . .

"The time stop will wear off soon."

She jolted out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice, the smirk gone from his features. She noticed the pool of darkness behind him, consuming him as he walked into it, the darkness disappearing moments later.

She let out a sigh as he disappeared, closing her eyes. "Roxas," she winced, her voice clouded by her tears. "_Anyone_, help me . . ."

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03/17/09


	8. 08: Seperate Paths

Lost in his own thoughts, Roxas's head snapped up as the train started to slow, swaying slightly. He raised an eyebrow – _why_ were they stopping now. This wasn't exactly something he wanted to explain to someone. Shaking his head, he cast a glance at Namine – surely she knew what she was doing; she seemed to have everything planned out so far. He smiled as he noticed that she had her sketchbook out again, her pencil flying over the page. As the train came to a complete stop, he tore his glance away from Namine – who hadn't even noticed his stare – to the trains' door as it sprung open with a ding.

No one came in.

Letting out a sigh, Roxas turned to look out the window; they had to have been in Sunset Hill, right? He blinked, surprised, when there was nothing but darkness looking back at him.

"We're here," Namine's voice broke through his thoughts.

_Here_?

He raised an eyebrow, turning from the darkened window to Namine. The blonde haired girl had folded her sketchbook up, it tucked underneath her arm. "Where are we?" he asked, Namine pushing herself off the other set of seats.

"This is the edge of Twilight Town," she commented, looking over his head at the swirling darkness.

"The edge?" he repeated; what was _that_ supposed to mean?

Namine nodded, looking at him momentarily before turning on her heel. "The edge of every town is surrounded in darkness, while the rest of it is showered in light. If the balance is disrupted, the power shifts and the heartless will start to appear," she stopped before the open doors, frowning. "However, Twilight Town is balancing on the edge of a knife, Roxas. The Organization has appeared quite often as of late, which are a natural enemy of the heartless. The darkness is stirring, too many more visits and the heartless will appear, and then . . . Twilight Town will be eclipsed by the darkness."

Roxas blinked, his heart sinking. This sounded _hopeless_.

"I'm _very_ sorry about this Roxas; but you will have to go alone from this –"

"Hold it," Roxas shouted, jumping up. "What? Aren't you coming _with_ me?"

Namine sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. "Roxas – trust in your heart; that is the most important thing you can do right now. Do _not_ focus on negatives and what ifs – otherwise your heart will be clouded by darkness and you will lose your way. If you can do that, you _can_ be great – just like Sora."

Roxas nodded, stopping before the blonde haired girl, looking down at her. "But, what's out there . . ."

Namine looked up from her shoes, moving slightly so that she was standing further back, away from the open doors. "The Twilight Path is out there . . ." and with that, she stretched her arms out, pushing a surprised Roxas forward, tumbling out into the darkness.

Roxas let out a yell as Namine's hands pushed forcibly on his back, falling headlong into the darkness. Stretching his arms out before him to balance his fall, he caught his footing, whirling around to glare at Namine. However, his glare fell short as he noticed the golden doors of the train closing, Namine on the other side. His mind went blank for a moment – Namine _really_was leaving him . . .

"Hey, wait!" he yelled, hearing the train start up again. Namine glanced at him, holding his gaze. "What am I supposed to do _now_?"

His eyebrows raised as Namine said something from inside; _just Believe in yourself_! He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as the train started to move on its invisible tracks; carrying the blonde girl away. Grumbling to himself, he kicked the darkness beneath his feet, watching the train disappear into nothingness. He shook his head and turning on his heel, started out through the darkness.

He _had_ to locate this Riku person; Namine had stressed that point one too many times.

But _where_ was he supposed to find this Riku – he didn't even know what he looked like.

He shrugged; how many people would be in this place anyway? That was . . . if this wasn't some kind of test.

No, Namine had told him not to think about what ifs, he'd just have to wait to see where this would lead . . .

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"Do you still feel Kairi's presence, Sora?" Goofy asked, glancing at the brunette.

Sora frowned, his chin propped up in his hand. Letting out a sigh, Sora shook his head, holding Goofy's gaze. "I can still feel her, but . . ."

"But what Sora?" he asked, his tone measured.

"Her presence is getting _weaker_ . . . I'm really worried."

Donald gave a quack from the controls, tossing a look over his shoulder. "Weak? What do you mean?"

Sora shook his head, turning his attention back to the window. "Kairi . . . it feels like she's disappearing; like her heart is _moving_ . . ."

"She jumped worlds?" Donald quaked, hitting the controls angrily. "She's probably _back _on your Island."

Goofy glanced between Sora and Donald, worried. "Don't say that, Donald," he eventually said, breaking the silence. "Sora's just worried about her wellbeing."

"Its okay, Goofy," Sora said, a ghost of a smile appearing on his features. "Donald's right – I don't where Kairi is or if she's even in Twilight Town. I just _need_ to find her."

"And if she's _not_ there?"

Sora bit his lip, the cockpit falling into silence once again. "Then we _keep_ looking, Kairi's heart is calling out to me," he said, closing his eyes momentarily. "We could try Hallow Bastion . . . she _is_ their Princess."

Goofy nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, Sora."

"Why would she _return_ there?" Donald quaked.

Sora could imagine the duck rolling his eyes. "It's not the safest place – but if Leon and the others are there; they could protect her, couldn't they?" He shook his head. "I wish she had stayed on the Islands."

"Hate to break this up," Chips' voice crackled from the speaker in the control panel. "We're approaching Twilight Town."

Sora grinned, reaching to unbuckle the belt that held him to the seat. Throwing the material away from himself, he shot out of the chair; his footsteps echoing beneath him. "Kairi . . . we're here . . ."

Donald let out a quack of surprise as the control panel before him sparked, letting go of the steering in the process. Sora let out a yell, tumbling backwards with a thump as the Gummi Ship spun around a couple times. Donald let out a quack of frustration, grabbing the controls once again, ignoring the sparks.

"What's going on?" Goofy asked as Sora picked himself up with a groan.

"Twilight Town's a unique place," Chip's voice sounded again. "They use _trains_ to move around – we have to blend in."

Sora nodded, rubbing his head from his fall, flopping into his chair again. "Just _don't_ let go of the controls again . . ."

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Olette felt a slight jolt, the effects of the Stopra wearing off.

She let out a sigh of relief; it wouldn't be too long before someone walked by . . .

Her hands still balled into fists; she slowly picked herself up off the cement, looking around her surroundings.

There wasn't _anyone_ there, she noticed with a frown; just her luck.

Shaking her head, she cast a glance down at her hands. They looked bad; a raw and burnt red – _how_ was she supposed to explain this to her mother? She bit her lip, she hated to admit it, but Axel was right . . . she was beat before it even began. She wished he'd told her about his _ability_; but she probably wouldn't have listened anyway. Grumbling to herself, her feet slapped against the cement underneath her, the Twilight Station appearing in front of her.

She rolled her eyes at the sight of the building – close but not close enough. Roxas _wasn't_ going to be happy . . .

Glancing around the platform, she frowned. It was odd that no one was up here; Setzer could usually be found here, weapon in hand. She shook her head; he was no better then Seifer. Her footsteps echoed beneath her as she made her way over to the railing overlooking the town. She squinted her eyes as the sunlight assaulted her, bringing a hand up to her forehead. She could see the moving shaped of the people in Tram Common, the horn of the train breaking through her thoughts.

"I suppose I should find out what happened to Hayner and Pence . . ." She wondered what Axel had done to them.

Dropping her hands to her sides, Olette sighed, turning around on her heel. She bit down on her lip, trying not to think about her throbbing hands. Her head spun as she started down the slope to Market Square again, so much had happened lately – much of which she didn't understand anyway. Roxas gained a new personality and went away with the ethereal Namine. Kairi was believed to be _heartless_ (didn't that mean you were dead?) and had been captured. Seifer, Hayner and Pence had all been beaten by a strange man; the same one who took Kairi away.

Thinking about it too much made her head spin.

She glared at her rod as she noticed it; glowing a faint red colour. She'd come back for it later – a _lot_ later. "How could I be so . . ." she felt tears prick her eyes, the heaviness crashing down on her as she flopped down on the nearest bench, staring at the ground. "I'm so stupid."

"Those hands don't look real good," she paused, her eyes widening as she glanced at the ground. "Here – give me your hands." Olette saw yellow shoes stop before her, the person kneeling down in front of her, clad in black. She winced, trying to get her hands back, but he held on. "Curaga."

Olette let out a breath, surprise written across her face as a green glow enveloped her hands, her pain disappearing. She blinked, noticing her hands weren't burnt red anymore, taking them out of her healers, looking them over. "How . . .?"

"There, hopefully it feels better now – that looked pretty nasty."

Olette shook her head. "I . . . thank you . . ." She grinned, looking up from her hands, her expression freezing in place. "Roxas!"

Grinning madly, she pushed herself off the bench, and without looking at him, threw her arms around his neck. She didn't think she'd see him that quickly; didn't Namine have a lot for him to do? She shook her head, it didn't matter. The boy, however, blinked, surprised. Shaking his head slightly, he reached up, pulling her hands away, pushing her away slightly.

"My name's Sora," he said, a wary grin on his face. "And that's –"

"SORA!" Olette repeated; her eyes wide. Sora raised an eyebrow at the reaction, looking back at Donald and Goofy. "Oh, if _only_ you'd got here sooner!"

Sora nodded slowly, confusion written across his face. "Do I know you?"

Olette shook her head, rocking back on her heels. "I heard about you from Kairi –"

"Kairi . . . is she here?" Sora asked, surprised, reaching forward, and grasping her shoulders.

Olette glanced at Sora, biting down on her lip. "She was here, but she _isn't_ what you remember," she slowly said. "She was kidnapped by someone . . . I'm _so_ sorry."

Sora brought his eyebrows together in confusion, "There's more isn't there, please, tell me."

Olette nodded, glancing at the ground. "She's lost her heart."

Sora sighed, his hands falling from her shoulders. "I knew there was something wrong with her – I could feel it . . ."

"I'm sorry," Olette mumbled. "I tried to fight him off."

Sora shook his head, smiling at her. "No . . . don't be. You did this for complete strangers; I can't ask anything more of you. So, why don't you tell me your name?"

"Olette!"

Olette jumped at Hayner's voice, glancing over her shoulder. She smiled, waving at the two boys who stopped before her. She rolled her eyes at Hayner noticed Sora, scowling at the brunette, arms crossed over his chest. "Who's that?"

Olette sighed, pushing the teen away. "Guys, this is _Sora_ –"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hayner said, cutting Olette off, pushing her off him as he glared at Sora. Sora raised an eyebrow, stepping back as Hayner pointed an accusatory finger at him. "We have Kairi dumped on us and have to keep her away from all this danger and then _you_show up here when it's all over!"

"Hayner . . ." Olette said, placing her hands on her hips, frowning.

Hayner blinked, looking over at Olette, looking around momentarily. "Say, where _is_ Kairi?"

"Kairi must hate me," Sora muttered, looking down at the ground. "I've never been able to save her."

Olette, ignoring Hayner's words, pushed past him, stopping in front of Sora, grabbing his hands. "Don't say that, you shouldn't be so negative."

Sora grinned, glancing from Olette to the silent duck behind him. "You sound like someone else when we first met . . ."

Donald looked at Sora, letting out an indignant quack. "What, you mean me?"

Goofy fought back a laugh, nodding at Donald. "It's true Donald, you said that when we first met; _happy faces_."

"Did not," Donald grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You did too," Sora said, grinning. "You said that when we met in Traverse Town."

"Have you guys known each other for a while?" Pence asked, breaking into their conversation.

"Two years," Sora said with a nod.

"Do you still want to find Kairi?"

"I _have_ to find her. I promised I'd come back to her."

Olette nodded, biting down on her lip. The way Sora talked about Kairi; she wish Roxas was like that. "I'm not sure where Kairi was taken too, but he mentioned that he was looking for Roxas as well."

Before Olette could continue, Sora turned around on his heel, grabbing Olette's shoulders. "Where?"

"Namine was taking him to the Twilight Path," she said, surprised.

_Namine, Namine_ . . . why did that name sound familiar? "The Twilight Path – where's that?"

"I'm not sure . . . " Olette frowned, she had known a couple hours ago; but it was _gone_.

Sora sighed, letting go of her shoulders, his hands falling limply to his sides. "It's alright, thanks anyway," A frown marred his features, moving his hands so they were behind his head. "If Kairi does come back here . . . could you tell her to get to Hallow Bastion – she'll know what I mean," he added at their confused looks.

Olette nodded slowly, having no idea what Sora was speaking of. "Sure, we'll let her know, won't we?" She glanced around at the two boys, who nodded.

Sora smiled, mumbling a quick thanks before turning to Donald and Goofy. "Come on guys, we've still got a lot to do."

The two nodded, voicing their agreements. Olette smiled, waving at the three as they started up the slope again towards Sunset Station; Sora and Donald bantering about something. "Come back and visit us sometime!"

Sora called over his shoulder that he would, before he disappeared around the corner, out of sight. Olette sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets before looking at Hayner and Pence. "Have you guys ever heard of Hallow Bastion?"

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Roxas sighed, bored.

He had been walking through the thick darkness for what felt like an eternity and he still had nothing to show for the matter. He could hear his footsteps echoing around him as he shoved his hands into his pockets. How much longer did he _have_ to walk – it seemed like he was going nowhere. Fidgeting, he pulled his hands out of his pockets, crossed them over his chest and returned them to his pockets a couple minutes later.

Frowning, Roxas came to a stop, his footsteps still echoing around him.

What did Namine want him to do? "How much longer do I have to walk?" He grumbled, kicking at the darkness before him. "I'm _never_ going to find this Riku person."

Roxas narrowed his eyes, trying to make out any type of shape. Was Namine _testing_ him – was he supposed to find Riku in the dark? He grumbled to himself; if he was supposed to be dressed up like the Organization, this was going to be useless! He shook his head as the question ran around in his mind, making his head swim.

Was he going to be _stuck_ here forever?

_Roxas, what did I tell you_? Namine's voice came, sounding impatient.

"You told me to follow my heart," he said slowly. He thought he sounded silly talking to the darkness around him.

"Then you know what to do," she said simply.

Roxas sighed, frowning as he felt the heaviness leaving, Namine's presence disappearing. His hands still shoved into his pockets, Roxas's eyes widened slightly as his hands closed around a small, circular item. A grin appeared on his features as a plan formed in his mind. Letting out a breath, Roxas pulled the orb out, holding it out at arms length.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He frowned, looking at the coloured orb.

He frowned, when he needed Namine, she wasn't around; it would figure. He let out a sigh, looking around the darkness around him before returning his attention to the orb in his hand. He blinked as he saw the orb, it glowing slightly, the creature inside apparent. Did it _want_ to get out? Did it know he needed its assistance? Closing his eyes momentarily, he took a deep breath, trying to find a way to connect with the creature inside. His eyebrows came together as he bit down on his lip, trying to find what he was looking for.

His eyes flew open as he felt the orb become warmer, trying to expand against his tight grip.

"Tinkerbell."

Where did that name come from?

At the sound of her name, the orb shattered, a small creature emerging from the shards. Roxas blinked as the small creature stretched, her dainty wings beating rapidly, a green glow following her. He grinned as he watched her fly through the darkness, the sound of bells echoing through the empty space. Eventually, the tiny sprite took notice of him, stopping before him.

"_Tinkerbell_, is that your name?" The sound of tinkling bells greeted his ears; he smiled, taking it for a yes. "Then, can you help me? I need to find someone named Riku, but . . ."

He was cut off as Tinkerbell's wings fluttered quickly, the ring of bells sounding rapidly. Turning around, Tinkerbell sped through the darkness, the faint green glow following after her, the sound of bells echoing through the empty space. Shrugging – she must only be able to talk through the sound of bells – he picked up his pace, following after the sprite.

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"Come back here!"

Hands balled into fists, her dark bangs falling into her face as she came barreling around the corner. She narrowed her eyes in frustration as she looked around the deserted street, annoyance evident in her features. Scanning the street, she gritted her teeth as she saw the flick of a multi-coloured scarf; their vibrant blonde hair sticking out in the drab street.

"We already told you, we're Treasure Hunters!"

Her tiny laugh echoed through the Borough as she turned the corner, disappearing after her friends.

Yuffie grumbled to herself, her feet hitting the pavement as she raced after them. Why did it have to be _them_ again – they already had enough to deal with! They had to rebuild Hallow Bastion, dealing with the sudden outpour of Heartless, and on top of that they had the Organization members and their Nobodies Sora had spoken of and now those sprites were back.

"But we don't _have_ any treasure!" she yelled, skidding around the corner.

"If you _don't _have any treasure worth stealing . . ." the blonde teased; her scarf fluttering as she looked down at Yuffie. "Then _why_ are you chasing us?"

Yuffie gritted her teeth at the laughing blonde, her eyes narrowing as her brunette companion came around the corner. "Rikku . . ."

Rikku stopped, glancing over her shoulder, waving her off. "Oh come on Yunie – I won't tell!"

"That's a first," another voice drawled, a black clad sprite coming around the corner; her expression dead.

"You mean – you doubt me, Paine?" Rikku chirped, flying over to her, circling her.

Paine muttered something under her breath as she shot Rikku a look, turning her back on her, disappearing around the corner. Rikku paused, shrugging her shoulders as she shook her head. A grin came to her features though – a look that made Yuffie's face darken – as she floated over to Yuna, whispering something to her; the brunette nodding.

Yuffie stamped her foot – she _hated_ being ignored! "Oh, wait till I tell Squall about this!"

Rikku let out a giggle, turning to glance at the irate ninja, curling her nose up. "But Leon doesn't _have_ any treasure!"

"That's the point," Yuffie said, her anger getting the better of her as she reached into her pockets. "We don't _have_ any treasure – now give us back the Claymore Chip!"

_Cid's going to tell me_, Yuffie thought silently, glaring at the cheeky blonde.

The pilot had spent the past four months designing the defense mechanism for the town; all his information and work was stored in that device.

"If you want it – then it **is** treasure!"

Yuffie narrowed her eyes with a groan; they were _so_ annoying. Slowly, she reached her hand back, her ninja stars in her shorts' pockets; her eyes never leaving the sprites, she just needed good aim . . .

"Hey Yuffie."

Surprised, Yuffie let out a yell, whirling around, eyes narrowed, ninja stars in hand. Her stance dropped, a grin appearing on her face, the three before her wary. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, hey!"

Sora let out a laugh, putting his hands behind his head. "So, what's got you so keyed up?"

Yuffie frowned, her earlier frustration coming back to her. Tightening her grip on her ninja stars, she turned around, glaring at the sprites, Yuna whispering something to Rikku, a devious smile on the blonde's face. "It's those sprites," she yelled, aggravated. "They stole Cid's defense mechanism –"

"Cid's going to _kill_ you." Sora interrupted with a laugh.

Yuffie glared at him. "I know that," she snapped, balling her free hand into a fist. "But they won't give it to me!" In her anger, she let her stars fly, missing the two easily.

Sora frowned, forcing down a laugh as he patted Yuffie on the shoulder. He smiled at her – and got a pout in return – before walking past her, holding the two's gaze, his pace slow. "Hey there . . ."

Rikku grinned, pushing Yuna's hands off her, flying over to where Sora stood. "You know," she said as she circled him, stopping before him. "You're kind of cute."

Sora blinked; he hadn't expected that. "Um . . . thanks. Now, could you please give us the chip back; it means a lot to us."

Rikku grinned, shaking her head madly. "No way – if you need it, then it's treasure! We're treasure _hunters_ – the Gullwings!"

"The Gullwings?" Sora echoed. "But, we really need that treasure back – it's what sustains the town." He didn't know if that was true or not, but it sounded good.

Before Rikku could reply, Yuna appeared at her side, pushing the energetic blonde away. "You're looking for someone . . . aren't you?"

Sora was taken aback, he hadn't expected that. "What – how do you know?"

Yuffie tapped her foot in annoyance; she didn't _want_ to be forgotten here. Overhearing the conversation, she looked from Sora to Yuna, eyebrows raised. "Did something happen to Kairi, Sora?"

Sora sighed, nodding as he glanced at Yuffie, holding her gaze. "The Organization managed to find the Destiny Islands and they _found_ her. They took her heart Yuffie. Kairi is gone . . . and I didn't even get to see her. They got her . . . I promised Riku I could keep her save."

Yuffie nodded, resting her hand on Sora's shoulder. "I'm really sorry . . . that's _too_ bad; she really screams damsel in distress, huh?" Sora threw her a look, making Yuffie let out a nervous laugh. "Right, right . . . that's not funny. Do you know where Kairi might be?"

Sora shook his head. "Queen Minnie believed she might be in a place called Twilight Town – she was there, but she was already gone when we arrived. If she ends up here somehow – can you let me know?"

Yuffie nodded. "Sure, we'll let you know. But, I am _not_ waiting for you to take down those Organization guys; I want some of the action too!"

"That's sad," Yuna interrupted, hearing their conversation.

Rikku said, her braids swaying as she shook her head, grabbing Yuna from behind. "We'll get it back Yunie."

"Get what back?" Sora asked, turning his attention away from Yuffie to the sprites.

Rikku's eyes widened, her hands flying to her mouth as she looked back at Yuna. Yuna, on the other hand, just smiled, shaking her head, a flicker of a smile appearing on her face. "It's alright," she said slowly, glancing from Rikku to Sora. "I'm looking for someone as well, someone I lost eons ago. But, I _will_ find it."

Sora smiled slightly. "We're similar then."

Yuna sighed. "I suppose we are. However, do not worry about me; focus on your own light. I have my plan already lined up."

He ignored Yuffie fidgeting behind him, rocking back and forth on her heels, something on her mind. Sora shook his head, glancing at the brunette sprite. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yunie; you – we _can't_ say!" Rikku said, clamping a hand over Yuna's mouth, glancing intently at her. "That's a secret!"

Sora looked warily at the two sprites, while Yuffie shrugged. "You don't have to say – can you tell me your names though?"

Yuna smiled, pushing Rikku away from her. "I'm Yuna, she's Rikku and Paine's not here," she said, pointing to herself and Rikku.

"Rikku?" Sora echoed, surprised. "My friend's name's Riku," he shook his head. "But, he's a boy."

"A boy?" Rikku shouted, her tiny hands balling into fists. "I'm _all_ girl!"

Sora shook his head a smile appearing on his features while Yuffie let out a loud laugh, doubling over. "He wasn't talking about you," Yuna said, between giggles, placing her hands on Rikku's shoulders. "You're not the only –"

"I'm the most _important_ though, Yunie!" Rikku whined, pouting.

"Come on guys, we've got to go," Paine's monotone voice broke in, arms crossed.

Yuna and Rikku jumped, surprised by the warriors return. Yuna nodded, letting go of Rikku, who threw a cheeky grin at Paine and then Sora. "Later Taters!" she chirped, immediately disappearing in a green glow. Paine rolled her eyes, disappearing as well.

"Sora," Yuna said, biting down on her lip. "I want you to have this back." Slowly, she pulled out a thin white square out from behind her before tossing it at him, mumbling a goodbye.

Sora caught the square quickly, looking at it as Yuna disappeared in a flash of white. He held it out before him, turning it over in his hands, eyebrows coming together in confusion. Yuffie, curious, shuffled over to Sora's side, peering over his shoulder. Her features brightened immediately, quickly snatching the square out of his lax grasp. "_Awesome_ – it's the defense mechanism! This is amazing; Cid's _not _going to kill me. C'mon Sora – you've got to come and see the others! Aeris is so going to want to hear all about Kairi."

Sora shook his head as he heard Yuffie let out a laugh – he could just imagine the smirk she wore as she held the device – as she turned the corner, still yelling at him to follow her. He threw a glance at Donald and Goofy, Donald just rolling his eyes, Yuffie getting on his nerves. Letting out a laugh at the duck's face, he waved for them to follow him before he took off after the hyperactive ninja; who seemed intent on beating him.

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03/24/09


	9. 09: Despair within Darkness

Axel sighed; a frown marring his features ran a hand over his features. Kairi lay limp in his arms, her red hair splayed across her face – and was it a _grimace_ on her face? He couldn't tell through the red wisps. He shook his head as he thought back to the scene in Twilight Town; that hadn't gone the way he'd planned. He _hadn't_ planned to make a scene; but those teens . . . they had just pushed one to many buttons.

"How stupid," he grumbled, shifting Kairi's dead weight slightly; the brown haired teen coming to mind. "She could have easily avoided all that . . . now, what am I supposed to do with you?"

He paused, glancing down at Kairi. The red haired girl's lips moved silently, her fingers twitching slightly. He frowned, rolling his eyes. He had to admit it; the girl was stubborn, struggling to fight her way out of the pressing darkness. Raising an eyebrow, he let out a forced laugh. Kairi was _trying _to rid herself off the darkness from within; not knowing that it would only quicken the process . . .

"Have you got something on your mind, Kairi?" He asked lightly, seeing her eyebrows come together slightly. "Why don't you tell me – I'll _help_ you out."

Kairi, he noticed, seemed to react to his mocking words. Her fingers curled up, her lips moving as Axel shifted her around slightly, trying to push her hair away. "Roxas . . . _Riku . . ._"

"So, you can speak," he mused, a smirk appearing on his features. "Riku, you say . . . if he is here, you'll be good leverage, Princess."

Grinning wickedly – this was turning out easier then he had originally thought – he shifted Kairi once again; stretching his hand out before him. Muttering something quickly under his breath, the darkness before him started to twist and contract, before opening up a portal before him. He glanced at Kairi once more before stepping forward, into the darkness. "The Wielders of Dark and Light, it will be a _real_ treat for them to see you again so soon." With a light laugh, the darkness closed in around them, swallowing them, engulfing them.

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As the darkness pressed in on them, Roxas found it hard to keep up with the flying fairy. How he wished the small fairy would realize he wasn't like her – but as he lagged behind, he could hear her tinkle of bells ringing impatiently. He rolled his eyes; he could just imagine a scowl on her features as she waited for him to catch up. He wondered if she missed her friends – but the thought would disappear when he'd catch up with her and she'd start off again. Roxas let out a sigh as she did this, shoving his hands into his pockets – he hadn't ran this much since gym last semester.

"If you keep this up, I'm _going_ to loose you!" he shouted, hearing her bells ringing shrilly as he slowed down again. He smiled slightly as the petite fairy turned around, coming back towards him. "You're finally getting –" he trailed off as Tinkerbell stopped above him, folding in her wings before dropping down onto his head. "Now, don't tell me _you're_ tired."

Tinkerbell scowled at his words, her petite hands enclosing around his blonde locks, tugging on it. Roxas frowned – she actually had a good grip – glancing up at the fairy, he noticed her pointing ahead, tugging on his hair again.

"Okay, okay," he grumbled, shaking his head; Tinkerbell tugging on his hair again. "I'm going in there, huh?"

The shimmer of darkness up ahead didn't escape his eyes. Tinkerbell nodded, letting go of Roxas's hair, picking herself up, her wings flapping as she flew around him quickly. Roxas let out a sigh as the fairy flew around him, fighting down the urge to brush her away as she flew around a twentieth time. Glaring down at him, Tinkerbell stopped and reaching out, pulling his hair.

He _hated_ to admit it, but the fairy had a good grip.

He rolled his eyes, brushing the fairy off whose bells shrilly rang before a light enveloped her. Surprised, Roxas jumped back, a wary look on his face. What was she doing? He raised an eyebrow as Tinkerbell disappeared in the light, returning to the gem in his pocket; his pocket glowing a faint green momentarily. "She's gone . . ." he mumbled, fishing the summon from his pocket.

Pulling out the gem, he turned it over in his hand, frowning. Inspecting the orb, he shook his head, returning it to his pocket. Maybe Tinkerbell was tired? Shrugging, he narrowed his eyes, looking at the darkness around him. With Tinkerbell gone like that . . . he was _much_ harder to see the shimmer up ahead. But, it hadn't seemed _that_ far away . . .

Nodding to himself – he _was_ right – he balled his hands into fists, starting forward. He watched the darkness around himself warily before glancing determinedly back to the shimmer ahead. As he approached the shimmer, his eyebrows raised as Roxas noticed a dim _light_ penetrating the darkness. Taking a deep breath, he slowed his pace down slightly as he reached for the small keychain, calling forth his Keyblade. Roxas shook his head at how easy he called forth the blade, its light briefly illuminating the darkness. Unable to hold a grin back, Roxas reached out for the dim light – this was _finally_ over.

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Roxas's expression froze as he emerged on the other side. Gritting his teeth together, he couldn't help but clench the Keyblade's shaft – there was _nothing_ but **more** darkness. He scowled slightly, his eyebrows coming together – if it only led him to more darkness . . . _where_ did that light come from? And . . . was Tinkerbell fooling him? Grumbling to himself, he glanced over his shoulder only to notice that the dim light he had seen was gone.

"Hello? Is _anyone_ there?" He called, his voice echoing as he stepped forward.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see what looked like pinpricks of light, but when he looked there was _nothing_ there. Roxas strained his ears, trying to hear anything in the silence as he warily continued forward. It was a couple minutes later when Roxas heard a faint rustle from the left. Tensing, Roxas gripped his Keyblade tightly as he turned in the direction of the sound. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he heard the rustle again, _before_ him it seemed like. Squinting slightly, he bit down on his lip as he tried to make out a shape in the darkness.

". . . did Namine send you?" a voice echoed through the silence.

Roxas jumped – it was closer then he'd expected. "Yes . . ." he said warily, narrowing his eyes. "And you're _Riku_?"

The silence made Roxas roll his eyes. It seemed he wasn't much of a talker . . . his narrowed however when he heard a rustle of clothing, was this guy _circling_ him? "You look so much like him."

"Like who?" Roxas said slowly, already knowing the answer.

"Like the Keyblade Wielder – Sora."

Roxas rolled his eyes; he was nothing like this _Sora_."So, Namine told me you know the darkness well and –"

"You're infiltrating the Organization," Riku cut him off. "I already spoke to Namine."

Roxas blinked; hadn't Namine said she _couldn't _come to this place? "Namine was here?"

Riku shook his head, a smirk on his features. "Namine has her ways; she's special."

Roxas nodded, looking in the direction he thought Riku was in. He rolled his eyes however when he said nothing; Riku was _hiding _something wasn't he? Riku, however, simply shook his head. "It's not my story to tell. Now, what will you do?"

Sighing, Roxas shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It's not like I _have_ a choice – Namine has me already cornered."

"She's used to getting what she wants," Riku said with a shrug. Roxas could imagine him with a smirk on his face. "If you want to survive Castle Oblivion you _must_ cast away your heart."

Roxas frowned, bringing a hand up to his chest. "Cast it . . . _away_?"

Riku nodded. "Otherwise you're going nowhere fast."

Roxas sighed, shaking his head. "So . . . I'm getting there _how_?" He could tell he was in over his head.

"Forget everything you know."

"_Forget?_" Roxas paused, that was unexpected. "But my friends . . . I . . . I can't . . ." He couldn't _imagine_ forgetting Olette.

Riku shrugged, turning his back on Roxas, disappearing deeper into the darkness. Roxas let out a sigh, grumbling under his breath as he followed Riku's footsteps. Olette . . . he couldn't imagine not being able to see her, to remember her laugh . . . her smile as she chastised him about his unfinished homework.

"If you want to get into Castle Oblivion . . ." Riku said slowly, coming to a stop. "That will be what you trade."

Roxas's hands balled into fists; Kairi coming to his mind. He shook his head, biting down on his lip as he remembered what Namine had told him. _Avoid speaking about what has transpired lately – especially Kairi – you understand_? He was supposed to just _forget_ Olette, but would Riku do that regarding Kairi, he couldn't help it as his mouth opened . . .

"What about _Kairi_ then? Do you _forget_about her? What about Sora?"

Riku froze, his body going rigid at the mention of the friends he had to forgo. His hands balled into fists, he knew what he'd done to the two of them – it wasn't something he was _proud_ of. As he heard Roxas let out a short laugh from behind him, he whirled around, crossing the distance between them quickly. Roxas flinched from the sudden change in his personality as the silver haired male loomed over him. Roxas backed up as Riku approached him – his expression was _scary_ – but before he knew it, Riku had grabbed his shirt, pulling the blonde forward.

"Don't you _dare_ bring them up to me," Riku said; his voice icy as he glared down at Roxas. "You have no idea what we went through!" Roxas remained silent; maybe he _should_ have listened to Namine. "I wasn't proud of what I did, but it **had**to be done!"

Roxas blinked, raising an eyebrow at Riku's words; what _exactly_ had happened? Namine had never mentioned it in their conversations, just that certain events out of their control had led the three of them down different paths . . .

"Listen," Roxas said, pushing Riku's hands off his, smoothing out his shirt. "I get it, alright? I shouldn't have mentioned the two of them. But, I care about my friends like that too –"

"Is that _why_ you're going into the Organization?" Riku asked, staring intently at Roxas. "You wish to protect them?"

Roxas nodded slowly, trying to pick his words carefully. He'd seen the tip of Riku's anger . . . like he wanted to see the explosives. "Yes, I want to protect them; I don't want them caught up in this . . ." Roxas frowned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Namine's already tried to send me there once, but Axel was there . . ." he couldn't help but scowl.

Riku shook his head, a smirk on his face. "For her to _attempt_ to send you . . . she must have been desperate."

Roxas's eyes narrowed. "_Why_?" The words were out of his mouth before he knew it.

"Something happened," Riku said finality in his tone.

Roxas nodded slowly; that was the same tone he'd used when Kairi and Sora were mentioned. "So, I have to forget in order to stay . . . what'll happen when I _leave_?"

"They return within time," Riku said slowly. "The stronger the memory however, the _longer_ it takes to return."

Roxas frowned, mulling over the words. "Are there still memories _you_ don't remember?"

"I wouldn't know," Riku said, rolling his eyes. "If there is, I don't miss it. If you _must _know; I only remembered Sora two months ago."

"Two months ago," Roxas echoed, crossing his arms over his chest. "How long have you been out of Castle Oblivion?"

"Over a year," he said with a shrug.

Roxas paused, a _year_. Riku had been out a year and was only just remembering his best friend now – how long would it be _before_ he remembered Hayner, Pence . . . _**Olette**_ . . .

"That's what you're gambling when you enter the Castle," Riku said, breaking the silence. "Your memories will continue to dwindle as you remain there. Likewise, the longer you're there, the _longer_ it will take for your memories to return. That is why they have no hearts – they spent too long there, lost between the darkness and light."

Roxas allowed a small smile to crack his façade; Namine had told him the same thing earlier. "So then, Twilight Town is . . ."

Riku shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Your town is different then Castle Oblivion. While your world is between the dimensions, it still possesses its heart. Castle Oblivion was once like Twilight Town, but something happened there. It was lost to history, so no one knows," he added before Roxas could ask. "But, Namine would _probably_ know what took place to lead it into such decay."

"How did the Organization get there then? We're they _residents _there?"

Riku shrugged – not even Namine knew the answer to that one. Standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, Riku narrowed his eyes suddenly, glancing around. He could feel it, there was another presence here and it was closing in quickly. Balling his hands into fists, Riku reached back, fishing his keychain from his pocket. Roxas blinked, jumping back as the dark Oblivion appeared in Riku's hand, his face tense.

"What? What's going on?" Was this some kind of _test_ from Namine?

"Well, that wasn't _too_ bad," a familiar voice mused, a drawl in their tone as their shadow appeared.

"Axel . . ." _Why_ did it feel like the wind just got knocked out of him?

Axel turned a smirk on his features as he caught sight of the two. Roxas was easy to find, his white outfit standing out in the darkness. "Why, if it isn't Roxas and Riku." Roxas didn't grin at the taunt as he stared blankly ahead; his mind whirling. How had Axel found him so fast, wasn't Namine going to take care of that? Kairi wasn't even here. Riku, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the Keyblade. "Now, _what_ are you two doing in a place like this?" Axel asked, a hint of amusement in his tone. "It's a dark place a reunion of Keyblade Wielders, isn't it?"

_Well, this is an awkward,_ Namine mused, making Roxas jump from her contact. _The Organization is faster then I thought; we'll have to move carefully . . ._

Roxas shook his head, blocking out Roxas and Axel's words as he tried to tune into the blonde girls words. "What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered; this was getting worse.

_Hold your Keyblade aloft_, Namine said slowly, biting down on her lip. _Now, repeat what I say_.

Roxas nodded, parrying the words that Namine said. Once finished, Roxas blinked, looking around his surroundings. The darkness, he noticed still swirling around them; but Axel, however, seemed to be frozen in place. He was a couple feet away from Roxas, a scowl on his face, a Chakram in hand.

Riku just shook his head, a smirk on his features. "I know you're here Namine; what's going on here?"

Namine gave off a ghostly chuckle, her silhouette appearing in a dim light. "You were always the keen one, Riku."

Riku nodded; a smirk on his features as he put his Keyblade away. "So, what's going on this time?"

Namine sighed, shaking her head. "Sadly, I don't have much time to explain it," Namine mumbled. "But, trouble is closing in on both sides –"

"Nami," Riku said, eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

"I need Roxas in the Organization – sadly, _you_ cannot do that anymore Riku. Roxas here as an uncanny ability to travel between the light and darkness and he looks like a certain someone, don't you agree? My original intention was to have you prepare him for the task ahead – you _**cannot**_ fail, Roxas – but the Organization is one step ahead of me . . ." A frown appeared on Namine's features, her eyebrows coming together. "I am truly sorry about all this, Roxas."

Riku nodded idly, glancing at Roxas. "What're you going to do with him now, then?"

Namine glanced at the two of them, biting down on her bottom lip. "Right now I only have one option available – you two _must_ fight each other. You both must attack and hold nothing back. And Riku," she added with a grin. "Roxas must win."

Grumbling, Riku shoved his silver bangs away, calling forth his Oblivion Keyblade again. The dark Keyblade appeared in a flash of dark light as Riku effortlessly grabbed it, resting it against his shoulder. "Simple."

Roxas, on the other hand, looked from Namine to Riku. He was _supposed_ to win? It seemed more like a laugh then anything. "What'll happen if I win?"

"_When_ you win," Namine said, catching the word. "If everything goes according to plan, you will be taken to the Organization."

"But, what about . . .?"

Riku caught his look, shaking his head. "They have their reasons to want me dead; I _did_ try to destroy them from the inside last year. Now, _that_ was a lot of turmoil, eh, Namine?"

Namine grinned warily. "Yes, that was . . . interesting. But, look at the state of affairs now; it's caused so many new problems . . ."

"It did, but now we have –"

"I can hear you, you know?" Roxas grumbled, hating being ignored.

Namine smiled, catching Roxas's eyes. "I know but you'll understand within time. I will contact you both again –"

"What if he _won't_ take me with him?" Roxas cut in, a frown on his features.

Namine merely grinned whereas Riku let out a laugh. "He's following you for a reason, Roxas. You have something they need."

Roxas sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You've got this all figured out, huh?"

"I have to be prepared, look at every angle."

"Huh, you're really smart then."

Namine merely nodded, holding her sketchbook closer to her chest. "You have to be wise if you're where I am. You both know what you must do – please don't fail."

Smiling slightly, Namine started to fade as the words left her mouth. Roxas blinked, and just like that, Namine had disappeared into the dim light. Roxas's eyes widened slightly as he felt the time stop wear off, bringing the world back into motion. Riku allowed a smirk to grace his features, bringing his Oblivion Keyblade out, thrusting it at the stunned Roxas. "You _double crosser_! I told you to come alone _and_ you bring the Organization with you? Why the hell Namine trusted you, I'll never know!"

Axel paused, his Chakram's behind him. "And what is going on here?" He demanded, looking from one to the other. "I thought you two were on the same side."

Riku ignored the red head's comments, malice etched onto his features as he stepped closer to Roxas. Roxas rolled his eyes, clenching his Keyblade tightly, bringing it out before him. "How was I to know he'd follow me?"

Riku rolled his eyes, mumbling a Firaga attack under his breath, which Roxas narrowly avoided. "He's been after you for ages – of course they'd _follow_ you here! You knew he wouldn't be far behind you – you traitor!"

Axel blinked; lowering his Chakram's an inch. "So, you aren't –"

Roxas shook his head, erecting a barrier before him as Riku's Keyblade slashed down at him. "Why the hell would I be with him?"

Axel shook his head, his stupor disappearing in place of a smirk, his Chakram's heating up. "Let's finish this, then."

Roxas took a deep breath, sending a glare in Riku's direction. "It's time to end this – we've clearly gone down different paths."

Riku smirked inwardly as he jumped back, holding his Keyblade aloft. "Yes lets. But . . . you _can't_ honestly expect to beat me; I taught you everything you know."

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Riku hit the ground with a yell; Axel's fire Chakram's ripping the air around him. He winced as a wave of heat and pain seared over his body, the Chakram's returning to Axel's hands; a smirk on his features. Roxas, standing beside Axel, didn't know what to do as he watched Riku thump loudly onto the ground. Axel, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk – he had _finally_ destroyed Riku. Xemnas would be pleased by that; that was one meddlesome pest gone.

_Another_, he shrugged. _If you include a converted Keyblade Bearer_.

That would mean only Namine and Sora were left.

"Finish him."

Roxas jumped at Axel's flat tone, shaking the thoughts from his head. Gripping his Keyblade's shaft tightly, he started forward, glancing warily at the flames around him. He shrugged when the flames didn't bother him – he didn't even feel the heat – stopping in front of the black clad Riku. Closing his eyes, he brought the Keyblade out, casting a fleeting look at Riku.

"Sorry about this." And with that, he brought the Keyblade down.

Axel smirked as he saw Roxas making his way back through the flames, his Keyblade held aloft, his eyes dead. "It's finished – let's go."

Axel nodded, clapping Roxas on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come around to our way of thinking."

Roxas said nothing as he glanced over his shoulder at the dying flames. "It was time for a change."

Axel grinned wildly, stretching his hand out before him, calling the darkness. The darkness before him started to swirl, the portal appearing. Inwardly, Axel couldn't help but smirk; he had thrown both the Seventh Princess of Heart and the second Keyblade Wielder. Lost in his thoughts, his head snapped up as something came _out_ of the darkness. A smirk graced his features as he reached forward, grabbing the small form.

"It's about time you arrived," he said slowly. "We were starting to get worried about you – we were going to leave without you." _That's what I get for losing grip on you_, he mused to himself, glancing down at Kairi's pink clad form.

Roxas blinked as he recognized Kairi tumbling through the darkness. His mind whirled, eyes wide as he glanced between the two . . . how did she? If she was _here_, what had happened to Olette and the others? "How'd she get here?" Kairi's vacant eyes didn't escape his sight.

Axel shrugged, shifting Kairi around. "Found her," he shrugged. "Now, hurry up," he said, motioning towards the portal.

Riku struggled to stand up, using his Keyblade as a crutch. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Roxas and Axel conversing, having forgotten he was there. As Axel's flames died away completely, he saw a flash of something in Axel's arms. Glancing intently at the woman between them, he raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of red hair and a pink jumper. He paused, was that _Selphie_? No, he shook his head, Selphie didn't have red hair.

His heart dropped as the pieces fell into place.

". . . _**Kairi**_?"

Axel and Roxas stopped, turning around at the raspy voice. Roxas suppressed a sigh, wondering how Riku was able to stand after all that. Axel, on the other hand, glared with narrowed eyes at Riku, a smirk on his features. "So, you know the Princess of Heart too . . . you'd do _anything _in your power to get her back . . ."

". . . She's heartless," Riku said, his heart dropping further.

Axel grinned, Riku didn't know. He shook his head, taking a step forward. "Yes, the Princess has regrettably lost her heart _again_ to darkness. Now, if you don't mind, the Princess and I have some matters to attend too."

Turning on his heel, Axel nodded to Roxas, motioning him towards the portal. Roxas nodded, heading towards the portal, disappearing into the darkness. Axel let out a small laugh as he shifted Kairi closer to him, disappearing into the darkness as well.

"Kairi!" Axel heard Riku yell as the portal closed, leaving Riku along in the pressing darkness. Axel closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he tightened his grip on Kairi. Vaguely, he heard Riku shout out _damn you!_ through the darkness, which just made his smirk grow more.

Riku wouldn't be able to follow them. He couldn't wield the darkness any longer.

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07/13/09


	10. 10: Desire and Despair

Leaning back in his computer chair, a cigarette held between his lips, Cid glanced over at the ninja, his expression blank. The low hum of the computers behind him was the only sound in the room, which made the ninja fidget under his stare, the Claymore Chip in his hand.

Yuffie let out a sigh, placing her hands on her hips as Cid took a drag on his cigarette. If he thought that look was going to scare her like it had when she was six, he needed to come up with another idea. She wasn't planning to fall for any of his over used tactics.

"You've got to be kiddin' me, brat," Cid said, breaking the silence. "You honestly think I'd believe that – how could you _not_ notice three damn sprites stealing the damn Claymore. Hell, you couldn't even stop them, could you?" He shook his head, glancing momentarily to the brown teen behind Yuffie. "Che, you were probably just too busy making out with Sora."

Sora's eyes widened, he hadn't been paying much attention to their conversation. He sputtered at Cid's words, had the pilot just said what he thought? Yuffie glared over her shoulder at him, her dark gaze piercing him.

"Now, now Sora," Yuffie said, recovering from the quip quicker. "I _know_ that you want too . . . but you're not my type."

Sora rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Ha ha."

"Makes me wonder what Kairi would think," Yuffie mumbled, a smirk replacing her frown. She winked in Sora's direction, before turning her attention back to Cid, a glare appearing once again. "So, instead of _changing _the subject, I got your precious little chip back, so you _can't_ complain about anything."

"You also let them _steal_ it."

Yuffie grumbled under her breath, the pilot knowing how to get under her skin. "Yes, but I still got it back!" she challenged, fist hitting the tabletop in frustration. "I _could_ have let them keep it – but you, ugh, you're never happy!"

Shaking her head, Yuffie leaned forward, swiping the chip from the pilot's lax grasp. She tossed the small device from one hand to another, holding back a laugh at Cid's expression, his eyes following the chip's movements.

"Don't toss that around, brat! That took _months_ to make."

Putting his cigarette down angrily in the ash tray, he shot the ninja a glance of annoyance, picking himself up from the chair. With a quick movement, he managed to barely grab the chip from the agile ninja.

"Yuffie," Leon's voice broke in, making Yuffie straighten up, laughter dying on her lips. "What did these sprites look like?"

For the moment, Yuffie had forgotten that the others were there.

Yuffie let out a dramatic sigh – for _once_, he wasn't lecturing her. "Well Squall –"

Leon's eyes narrowed at the ninja. "I told you; it's Leon."

Yuffie shrugged. "Whatever, _Squall_. There were three of them; a blonde, a grey and a brunette. I think that one was their leader."

Leon nodded, unfazed by her inability to describe things. ". . . and their names are?" Yuffie paused, her eyes flying to the ceiling, biting down on her lip as she thought back to the interaction. Leon sighed, running a hand over his face. "You forgot."

Yuffie laughed awkwardly, shifting from one foot to another at his accusation. Sora shook his head, glancing across the small table to Yuffie. "It was Yuna, Rikku and Paine; they called themselves the Gullwings – right Yuffie?" Yuffie nodded eagerly. "They _looked_ harmless enough, they were just after treasure. They gave the chip back, so they couldn't have been that bad . . ."

Leon nodded, casting a fleeting glance at Yuffie. "Why couldn't you be more like Sora? He remembers the details."

Yuffie let out a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sora's just a show off," she muttered under his breath.

"That's just what makes Yuffie, Yuffie." Aeris added.

Leon shrugged. "I suppose so." Turning on his heel, the gunslinger crossed the room, disappearing outside.

Yuffie shook her head at the gunslinger's actions, rolling her eyes in the process. Letting out a sigh, she pushed herself out of her chair, feet heavy against the floor underfoot. "Squall!" she yelled, throwing the door open again, hands balled into fists. "Come back here – you're not the only one who wants to find them!"

Aeris sighed as the front door closed behind Yuffie, drowning out her loud voice, glancing briefly out the window. "So, Kairi's gone missing again?" she asked, pulling a couple mugs down from the cupboard. "If she really did loose her heart . . . and the Organization . . . _what_ would they want with her?"

Sora closed his eyes, the mugs clinking together as Aeris moved about the small kitchen. "I honestly don't know, Aeris. I really wish Kairi didn't have to get drawn into this mess because of me. Someone else even had to rescue her, you know? I _couldn't_ even do it – what's wrong with me?"

"It's not your fault, you know that right?" Aeris smiled, placing the mugs onto the table, sitting across from Sora. "I know what you must be feeling, if even a little bit. When Cloud and Tifa were swept away by the darkness . . . I blamed myself. I didn't know what I should do," – here, Aeris held up a hand, seeing the questions forming in Sora's mind. "When Hallow Bastion was first attacked, I was with Cloud and Tifa. We were in the Castle's library when it all happened. We managed to get out of the Castle with no major problems . . . but on our way to Cid's, we were foolish and got ourselves severely outnumbered and swarmed. We tried to fight our way out, and when we found an opening . . . they sent me on ahead . . . and then, we didn't see them for _years._ We figured they had died, until Cloud found his way back, and Tifa _only_ reappeared a month ago."

"Why does this always have to happen?" Sora said quietly, staring at the patterns in the table. "I lost her once, but it's happening again. Maybe . . . we're not meant to be together?" he whispered, thoughts whirling through his mind.

Aeris shook her head, a frown appearing on her lips. "Fate has a funny way of working. You rescued Kairi once before and your heart continues to shine at the thought of being reunited with her. As long as you believe . . . you will find her."

Sora smiled lightly, pushing his chair back. "Thanks Aeris," Aeris always seemed to know the right thing to say. "We should probably get going there, the longer we stay here, the further ahead the Organization gets."

Donald and Goofy looked up from Cid's large computer terminal and nodding; joined Sora at the front door. The brunette glanced from his travelling companions to Aeris and Cid in the small room, the latter having returned to his terminal.

Aeris followed Sora out the door, blinking in the sudden brightness. "If we hear anything about Kairi, I'll make sure to send word." She smiled as Sora gave her a one armed hug before heading off after Donald and Goofy. "I hope you can find Kairi," she mumbled, a ghost of a smile on her face. "With her cloaked in the darkness like this . . . you _won't_ be able to go on much longer . . ."

Letting out a sigh, Aeris glanced up at the cloudless sky. Her blonde ex-mercenary came to mind, that slight smirk of his gracing his features. Ever since he had returned to Hallow Bastion, he had seemed distant . . . as if there was _something_ there, making him turn away in her presence.

"I wonder how the excavation at the Castle's going?" she wondered, catching a glimpse of the turrets over the rooftops.

Earlier in the week, Cloud had decided to return to the Castle to try and locate the old documents that were concealed within its' walls. Without him even saying anything, she knew he was unimpressed with Leon's answer that _'they weren't there'_. It hadn't taken long for Tifa to speak up, the two warriors heading towards the Castle. \

That had been two weeks ago.

_Enough horrible things have already gone on within those walls_, she told herself, worry etched across her features. She didn't want to loose anymore of her friends . . .

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"Namine!" Riku's voice echoed through the darkness, his eyes narrowed, a frown on his features. "I know that you're here – _what_ was Kairi doing with them?" He paused momentarily. "Answer me."

By now, fear – something Riku had long since forgotten – was slowly taking a hold of him. After what had happened the last time the darkness had appeared, destroying their lives, he had placed Kairi in the back of his mind. She was _safe_ on the Destiny Islands. Sora was going back to the Island in his place; Sora was going to protect her. The two of them _belonged_ together, that much became obvious while in Castle Oblivion.

But she was wrapped up in the darkness again . . . what the _hell_ had happened?

She was supposed to safe on the Island _not_ standing in Castle Oblivion with Axel.

His musings fell silent as a dim light appeared in the darkness, Namine appearing. She looked like she hadn't slept for a while, her sketchbook clutched to her chest, a tired look of her features. Worry was etched across her face, biting down on her bottom lip as she flipped her limp blonde hair back.

In all honestly, she didn't understand why Kairi was in Castle Oblivion either.

_Something_ had happened in Twilight Town . . .

"I'm not sure," she whispered, her eyes not meeting Riku's. "She was safe In Twilight Town, I made sure of that. But somehow they got through my defenses and found her. Perhaps I shouldn't have let her go with Roxas . . ." she shook her head. "From there, I can only assume that Axel managed to – for lack of a better word – gain control of Kairi. I fear for what might have happened to Roxas's friends, they knew nothing of Kairi's true identity."

Riku shook his head, Namine's words holding little meaning. "You promised, Namine," he grumbled, his hands balling into fists. "You said that when Sora's memories were reconstructed, that she would remain safe. You promised that she _wouldn't_ be harmed or involved in this _**mess**_ anymore!"

Namine nodded, telling Riku get his anger out. "I know; I failed you, Riku. I'm a horrible liar, aren't I?"

Riku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You didn't fail Namine . . . you just . . ." he fumbled for the right words, a frown on his features. "You just missed something in that sketchbook . . . some prediction you overlooked, right?"

Namine smiled, Riku always seemed to know what to say. "You're starting to use my own knowledge against me."

Riku shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It fits the moment, agreed? Buy, you _can_ find out why all of this is happening, correct?"

Namine bit down on her lip, looking at her shoes. "It's not that simple anymore," she said quietly, unable to meet Riku's questioning gaze. "From the events that took place last year in Castle Oblivion, the Organization knows me to well. They can, it seems, sense my presence when I'm near. _I'm too light for them_," Namine let out a small laugh. "That's what Marluxia used to tell me daily. It looks like we might have to . . . _wait_ for Roxas to make contact first; I need some answers before I can delve any further."

Riku grumbled, rolling his eyes. "And in the meantime? Are we supposed to just stand around and wait for him, while . . ."

Namine nodded, knowing his thoughts were on Kairi. "I plan on heading to Twilight Town," Namine eventually said, breaking the silence. "I might be able to piece some of this together, and then . . . we wait."

Riku frowned, not liking Namine's answers. "You mean if he even _survives_ that place."

Namine pretended like she hadn't heard his comment. "I'm currently staying at the rundown Manor on the outskirts of Twilight Town. I want you to join me there, Riku. It's one of the few places that the Organization hasn't found out about yet." Namine paused, thinking something over. "While there, I want you contact Roxas's friends. I would do it myself, but I already have too much to look after. I can't afford to get distracted now. I hope you don't mind, but I need you to speak with Olette, she'll be able to tell you about Kairi and . . ." she trailed off.

"What is it?" Riku asked as Namine fell silent, her sketchbook falling from her hands.

Namine shook her head, her blonde hair hiding her face, her lips forming soundless words.

". . . Sora."

"_Sora_?" Riku echoed, stepping forward. "What about him? Is he okay?"

Namine nodded, Riku's words snapping her out of her thoughts. Regaining her composure, she bent down to pick up the sketchbook. "It looks like Sora has arrived in Twilight Town as well, he was so _close_ to Kairi as well," she shook her head, smiling at Riku. "You're going to have a busy schedule, but I really do appreciate it."

"This just better have a good ending," he said, turning on his heel.

"You and me both," Namine said quietly. "Oh and Riku," she called as the darkness started to swallow him. "You will need to find a change of clothes once there – Olette and the others won't appreciate you showing up in the same outfit as Axel."

Riku smirked, throwing his hand up in a wave. "Will do – see you Namine."

Namine smiled, holding her sketchbook closer to her chest as the Riku disappeared into the darkness. Shaking her head, she disappeared from view as well, leaving the Twilight Path in darkness once again.

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Roxas stumbled as he fell out of the darkness, the bright white room before him making him blink rapidly. Grumbling to himself as his eyes adjusted, he shook his head, taking a breath. He could do this. He turned on his heel as he heard Axel's footsteps on the tiles as he stepped out of the darkness, Kairi lying limp in his arms.

He had hoped he was just imagining it before, that it _wasn't_ Kairi in Axel's grasp, but another girl. Unfortunately, her red hair and pink outfit was too recognizable, it was her. His thoughts quickly turned to Olette and what could have . . . _happened_ to her.

"Did you deal with Riku?" he asked instead, noticing Axel's stare.

Roxas didn't miss the smirk on Axel's face as he nodded. "Let's just say that I left Riku to his own devices. Once he realized that Kairi wasn't waiting like a good girl back on that Island but lost within the depths of the darkness, well, let's just say he couldn't do anything."

Roxas nodded, following Axel as he past him by. He shook his head, from the little bit he knew about Riku, he could just imagine what was going through the silver haired teen's mind. He wondered idly what Riku would do; he struck Roxas as the kind of guy with a temper. However, he pushed Riku from his mind, glancing from Kairi's limp form, to Axel before his thoughts fell to Olette. He frowned, wondering if it was possible to bring it up subtly.

"That aside, you're going to need some new clothes, white just _doesn't_ suit the darkness."

Roxas nodded, hardly listening. "I suppose you're right."

"Always am," Axel quipped with a shrug.

Roxas glanced around his surroundings as he followed Axel up a flight of stairs. "It's _whiter_ here then I expected, but I suppose it hides your true intentions, right?"

"Time will tell."

Roxas nodded slowly, filing that idea away; maybe _that_ would help Namine? "So . . . these outfits . . . I get one where?"

"Hmm, well, we'll just drop Kairi off, doubt you want her watching."

Roxas laughed half-heartedly, stealing a glance at the red haired girl. Did it even _matter_ if she was there, she wasn't exactly coherent. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he started after Axel, only to fumble slightly, noticing Axel had paused a couple steps before him.

"Hello _Demyx_," Axel said; sarcasm apparent in his tone.

It was then that Roxas noticed another hooded figure at the top of the stairs, their face hidden in the hoods shadow. "What is it now, Axel?" Demyx grumbled, his hood falling back, his blonde hair contrasting with the black robe. "What could you possibly – wait, who the hell's that?"

Axel's smirk grew wider as Demyx's eyes trailed from Roxas to Kairi, remaining on the limp girl in his arms. "I'm simply doing the things you _couldn't_ complete. I now have the Princess of Heart and the Second Keyblade Wielder of the Light, after I locate Sora, I'll have the complete set. The three things Xemnas wants all in one place." He paused, expecting a comeback from Demyx, shaking his head when nothing came. "You might as well come and make yourself useful and take Kairi to her new _home_, no more of this thirteenth floor crap."

Demyx's eyes narrowed at Axel's words, descending the stairs slowly, his posture wary. Stopping before Axel, he took Kairi out of his grasp, the red head light in his arms. "I'd watch your back Wielder," Demyx said, his gaze drifting to Roxas. "Axel is one slippery guy."

Rolling his eyes, Demyx turned away from the two, heading down the stairs, his footsteps the only sound. Roxas raised an eyebrow at Demyx's back, filing away the blonde's reactions for the time being.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Axel commented with a shrug. "He's just a little bitter about something that happened, but it hardly matters. He's just a _child_, no more then eighteen if I'm correct."

Roxas nodded, falling in step beside Axel. "So, does he like Kairi or something? It seems like . . ."

Axel shook his head. "He can't, last time I checked, Unknown's don't have hearts," Axel waved a hand, seeing the questions forming in Roxas's mind. "Kairi is just a potential possession, something he just wants to toy around with. In the end though, Kairi belongs to me."

"She's yours?"

"I'm the one that managed to convince her that waiting on that forsaken Island for her _hero_ would get her nowhere. By following his wish, she was asking just like the Damsel-In-Distress Princess formula she was rebelling against. Soon after that, the darkness claimed her once more. The moment she fell, I claimed her."

Roxas nodded, filing that piece of information away. It seemed like something Namine would find valuable. "That guy, Riku, he kept mentioning someone named Sora. He claimed that I was this person, just who exactly is he?"

"He's a Keyblade Wielder," Axel said, pushing a door open, another long corridor greeting them. "He managed to save the Worlds and save Namine over the past couple years. However, he seems to have had a change of heart somewhere along the lines, last year, five of our Organization met their death at his hands." He shook his head. "He looked enough like you, but with brown hair."

Roxas nodded . . . brown hair. He'd seen that boy somewhere; the memory was at the tip of his tongue. Was it . . . a _picture_?

"_Hey __these __sketches __are __really __good! __Are __you __an __artist?__" __Hayner __asked, __flipping __through __Namine__'__s __sketchbook.__ "__Hey __this __one __**looks **__like __Roxas!__"_

_Namine was on her feet in an instant, Kairi's hand falling lifelessly back to her lap. She quickly put herself in front of Hayner, hand outstretched, her eyes hard. "Give me back my sketchbook."_

_Hayner blinked a few times, that was a surprise. From her white clothes and innocent demeanor, he thought that she wouldn't be able to be all that forceful. She could be forceful when need be. He stretched his hand out, Namine snatching the sketchbook quickly, pulling it close to her body._

"_So, __who __was __that?__" __Hayner __ventured, __indicating __to __the __brown __haired __Roxas._

_Namine shook her head. "It does not concern you."_

_Hayner raised his eyebrows, his stare challenging hers. "If it concerns Roxas, I think we should know what's going on. He's our friend."_

_Namine didn't flinch from his harsh tone, but merely shrugged. "It is not Roxas, so please drop it."_

"_That's kind of weird." Roxas said at length._

Axel shrugged, hands in his pockets. "That's why I was sent to try and locate you. With your look being so similar . . . it," Axel shook his head. "But that's neither here nor there, correct?" _If we hadn't needed you, you would have been killed upon contact with us_.

Roxas sighed; he just wanted to be his own person.

He didn't want to be wrapped up into the things he didn't understand.

He didn't want to be this makeshift hero.

He didn't want to be Sora.

He just wanted to be Roxas from Twilight Town, forgetting about his homework in favour of hanging out with _his_ friends.

However, he just nodded under Roxas's stare, unsure what to say next.

Following after Axel, Roxas realized that he was just being used as a pawn on both sides. Namine needed him so he could gather intelligence from within the enemy's compound. Meanwhile, the Organization seemed to want to use him to create confusion between himself and Sora while they worked to destroy the delicate balance between light and darkness.

_Why?_ was all he could think.

Why did his world have to spiral this far out of control?

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Stepping out of the darkness, Riku blinked, raising a hand to his eyes. That was the one thing he hated about remaining in the darkness, it made everything else almost unbearable. His eyes slowly adjusting, Riku glanced around his surroundings, an eyebrow rising as he realized he was on a train. His footsteps sounded against the flooring underfoot, as he sat down on the cracked leather seats, an urban town stretching to the horizon outside his window.

A scowl made its way onto his features, the revelations of the past hour weighing on his mind. Kairi was wrapped in the darkness once more, and was being held in Oblivion. And now Sora was . . . he sighed.

Maybe Namine shouldn't have erased the brunette's memories.

He was vaguely aware of the train stopping, the silver haired youth subconsciously leading him towards the doors, the urban town awaiting him. As the door to the Twilight Train closed behind him, Riku glanced around his surroundings, taking it in for the first time.

The first thing he noticed through the windows was that everything was _brown_.

Every building, the interlocking bricks under foot, the information billboard sitting in the corner – it was all brown.

Shaking his head, Riku started down the staircase leading to the stations door, mulling over Namine's words. _Find Roxas's friends_ . . . but out of all of Namine's photos, couldn't she have shown him a picture?

He didn't have time to look through an entire town for one girl.

Dispelling the thought for the time being, Riku pushed his silver bangs back, pushing the stations' doors open. Raising a hand to block the rays of the sun, he remembered Namine's words about finding a change of clothes. Taking in his surroundings – the platform empty in the early morning – he stretched his arms out before him, heading into the small town.

As the interlocking bricks underfoot sloped slightly, Riku fumbled through his pockets for the childish map Namine had hastily drawn a couple months previous. It was too bad that his memories from the fake Twilight Town had been erased.

The scribbles of the paper, made him think the town wasn't as big as he had originally assumed. Within the box (which he assumed was the towns boundaries) the town seemed to be split into three different areas; Twilight Station, Market Square and Tram Common. Shrugging, he placed the map back into his pocket, Tram Common below him.

. . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . .

A bell sounded as the door was pushed open, the sounds from the street assaulting them. Riku blinked a couple times, his eyes adjusting to the light once again – briefly thinking he should have grabbed a pair of sunglasses to boot. In the time he had been in the clothing store, daylight had taken a hold of Twilight Town, people milling around, the sound of music playing from one of the apartment windows overhead drifting into the street. His Organization cloak and the bandana the King had given him had been shoved hastily into the store's bag.

The first chance he got, he was dumping the bag somewhere.

The black sleeveless top hung perfectly on him, the cream coloured vest on top adding a touch of contrast to the black top. To finish the look off, he had decided on a pair of baggy pants. In his opinion, he didn't look half bad.

"Namine said she usually hung out on the Back Alley . . . off Market Square," he told himself he wasn't going to pull out that map again. The last thing he wanted was to be pegged as a _tourist_. "Then I supposed to head to some old Manor in the woods. Kairi . . . you better be safe –"

"Sorry to eavesdrop, are you looking for her too?"

Riku paused, glancing over his shoulder, eyes narrowed. A brunette stood a couple paces back from him, hands on her hips. An odd expression was on her features as she looked over Riku.

"Everyone seems to be looking for her, she must be special to a lot of people," she mumbled awkwardly, the silence stretching on between them.

"Have you seen Kairi around here?" He shook his head, Namine coming to mind. "I'm actually looking for another girl, her name's Olette."

The girl blinked, raising an eyebrow. "_My_ name is Olette, but who are you?"

Riku noticed her take a step back, her expression suddenly guarded as her hands balling into fists in front of her. "My name's Riku," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Namine sent me here to find out what happened to Kairi . . . she's like a sister to me."

"Namine sent you?" Olette echoed, her posture becoming more relaxed, although her hands still remained balled into fists. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about, follow me."

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The chapel was silent.

The bells had long since stopped ringing.

The Stain glass windows had become cracked, glass littering the floor.

The once bright hallways had been claimed by the darkness, clinging to every surface.

A tall figure stood at the altar cloaked in darkness, their bright eyes piercing through the dark shadows. Their eyes fell upon the middle of the vast room, their expression bored as they watched the three sprites huddled together, the only brightness in the otherwise dark room.

They were so small . . . almost expendable.

Their mind flirted with the idea of simply doing away with them.

However, they were needed to complete the task they couldn't.

Afterwards, perhaps the three sprites would just . . . simply _disappear_.

"Where are the Claymores?" Their voice boomed, echoing through the Chapel, making it sound more menacing.

Rikku glared into the darkness, staring up at the speaker with determination before looking over at Yuna. "We had the Claymore Chip, but then . . . that Sora you mentioned showed up. He's a lot like Yunie . . . they're both looking for –"

Yuna shook her head minutely, Rikku's words dying on her lips.

_That someone special . . _Rikku wanted to say.

It seemed like they would have to wait a little bit longer . . .

"You felt sorry for him and simply returned the Chip?" The voice boomed, looking from Rikku to Yuna, their gaze remaining on the brunette. "You my dear, you wish to be reunited with what you cherish the most?"

Grinning – or was it a smirk? – the figure brought a pale hand out from underneath their robes. Muttering under their breath, a light appeared in the middle of the room, dim at first as it cast eerie shadows across the room.

Yuna's bi-coloured eyes were focused on the shadowed figure, her fingers itching to reach out and touch . . . it felt like it was just _yesterday_. Rikku watched her cousin out of the corner of her eye, watching as Yuna bit down on her lip, longing in her eyes.

"Yes, yes I do," Yuna eventually said; her words breaking the spell as the silhouette disappeared. "But by stealing . . . it's just wrong."

"Then leave," came the cold reply. "Continue life as it is and forget what you cherish."

Yuna fell silent, her eyes fixed on the spot where the silhouette had been. Rikku frowned, casting a glance at her cousin. Shaking her head, her beads clanking together, she mumbled something in Al Bhed, her hands curling into fists. "We'll get the Claymore's back Maleficent," Rikku said, shooting a glare at her friends to remain silent. "Yunie, you deserve your happiness."

"Very well," Maleficent said, her cold eyes falling to Rikku. "If you don't get the Claymore's this time, you will be trapped this way forever."

Rikku nodded, knowing that would be at stake as she spoke. Clapping her hands together, she whirled around to look at Yuna and Paine, her smile wide as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "C'mon Gullwings! We have some Claymore's to steal!"

Throwing her fist into the air for emphasis, Rikku nodded at them, disappearing into the dim green light surrounding her. Yuna and Paine glanced at each other over the now vacant spot, sighing at Rikku's eagerness before they to disappeared into the dim lights of white and red.

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08/08/11

AN:

Yes, it's been two years since I last edited a chapter on my computer. Alas, between a bit of soul searching, adventure and a handful of job switching, I've gotten the time to get back to this story.


	11. 11: Plunging Deeper

Olette sat upon an upturned crate, emerald eyes watching Riku.

She allowed her eyes to trail over him as he stared out the Twilight Tower's window.

Sighing, she leaned back against the wall, glancing at the domed ceiling overhead.

She fiddled with her necklace, the silence starting to get to her.

She cast her glance from the necklace to Riku, who seemed content.

"So, Namine sent you here?" she just had to break the silence.

Riku nodded, moving to lean against the windowsill, arms crossed over his chest. Olette sighed at his actions, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Riku definitely seemed like the type of few words, his mannerisms vaguely reminding her of Seifer.

"Why did Namine send you?" she tried again. "Why didn't she just bring Roxas back?"

_Roxas isn't close enough_, Riku thought, figuring out Olette's question had another meaning. _He's too wrapped up in the darkness to help now_.

In his mind, the blonde haired Keyblade Wielder was dispensable, he was _**no**_Sora. Riku shrugged under Olette's searching stare, his eyes holding her gaze. "I'm not sure where Roxas is right now. Namine only informed that I was the closest to Twilight Town. Wherever Roxas is, he wasn't close enough."

He conveniently left out the fact that Roxas had _joined_ the Organization – the people who'd apparently attacked her – to unravel the darkness.

Olette nodded slowly, digesting his words. "So, you're like an associate of Namine's?"

Riku nodded, pushing himself away from the wall. His footsteps echoed against the bricks underfoot, sitting down on the upturned crate beside her. "I suppose you could call it that," he shook his head. "I've known Namine for quiet a while now."

Olette nodded, a smile creeping onto her face. Bringing her legs up closer to her body, she wrapped her arms around them, leaning her chin against her kneecaps. "You sound really close to her, are you two an item?"

Riku laughed, shaking his head. "No, we're just old friends."

"Uh huh," Olette said, raising an eyebrow.

Riku was either blind or jaded not to see it. Maybe it was just her intuition, but he was editing his thoughts.

"I know you said you came here to find Kairi, but . . . I get the feeling that there was something else. There's something weighing on your mind, I can see it in your eyes."

Riku closed his eyes; this girl was impressive. She knew so little about him, but she could read him like an open book. If only she knew the last year lost to the world.

"His name's Sora," Riku said slowly, looking over at the brunette. "He's another close friend."

Olette smiled widely, leaning back on her palms. "Kairi and Sora . . ." she trailed off. "Fate seems to have a funny way of working this days, I wonder what it's planning? I met Sora yesterday, he came here looking for Kairi," she held up her hand as she saw Riku jump at her confession. "I felt really sorry him – Kairi was taken moments before he arrived, he seemed so . . . heartbroken. It looked like his world had simply fallen apart, he left almost as fast as he arrived," she cast an apologetic look at Riku, as if she should have stopped the brunette from leaving. "You might try looking for him in a place called Hallow Bastion. Sora asked that if Kairi made her way back, to send her there."

Riku pushed down the urge to leave and find an immediate passage to Hallow Bastion. He shook his head, remembering Namine waiting for him in the Twilight Manor. Leaving without the small blonde would be disastrous; they needed to make some sort of a plan before delving any further into this mess.

"Hallow Bastion," he echoed; his voice far away. That place held anything but good memories for him. "I've been there before. If it's still the way that I remember it, that isn't the place for Kairi."

Olette shrugged, lost by the connections forged by all these people. "You're aware then that Kairi isn't here?"

Riku frowned, standing up from the overturned crate. "I do know that . . . what happened though? Kairi shouldn't have the ability to travel between the Worlds on her own. Someone helped her off the Destiny Islands, it's like their trying to mess around with us –"

"It was a guy," Olette said, fidgeting under Riku's stare. "He came here looking specifically for her. We tried to stop him, but he moved like a wraith, behind you one second and then . . ." she shook her head, remembering. "I really did try, but I couldn't do anything, he simply took her. He said that she was needed –"

"Needed Kairi - what for?"

Riku took a breath, his temper rising once again, even though he knew it wasn't Olette's fault.

The brunette wrung her hands together, her eyes trained on the floor underfoot. "He didn't say, only that they needed her. He looked so serious too, and then it was just _over_. I . . . I –"

"You tried," Riku said, cutting her off. "That's all I can for, you probably didn't ask for all of this to happen to you. Some summer vacation this has been huh? Roxas disappearing followed by all us strangers finding you."

"It's been interesting," Olette said after a moment, looking intently at Riku. "I do have a question though, have you seen Roxas lately?"

Riku shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't," she was better off not knowing. "Why do you ask?"

Olette shook her head, looking away, but not before Riku saw the blush creeping across her features. "Roxas is a close friend; we've known each other since kindergarten. I worry about him, he's always been really introverted and all the sudden, he's going off on his own, fighting and doing what he needs to. Its like he's had a complete personality change."

"It's natural to worry when you have a close relationship like you guys do," he laughed, Olette fumbling for a comeback. He just hoped a similar scenario wouldn't play out for them; no one deserved the fact that had befallen him, Sora and Kairi. "Everything will work itself out, just remember that."

Olette nodded, stretching her hands out before her. "I hope your right, Riku."

Riku watched her movements as she stood up from the crate, the sunlight catching her hair as she glanced out the window. "Let me see if I got this straight," he said as she leaned against the windowsill, looking over the urban town. "Kairi was needed for something, which included loosing her heart in the process. Axel arrived here for her, followed shortly afterwards by Sora who was heading for Hallow Bastion. Then, if by some chance of fate Kairi returned, you were asked to help get her there. No doubt Sora's still out there looking for some clue to get her back . . ."

Not to mention the fact that Namine had made contact with Roxas, giving the blonde a Keyblade before shipping him off to Castle Oblivion. The fact that Roxas looked like Sora with blonde hair, Namine had never really explained that fact – which made him think that wasn't exactly _fate_. Add on top of that the King seemed to have disappeared again while Kingdom Hearts was getting forced open by the amount of darkness, was the Organization behind all this . . .?

Some days he wondered how Namine managed to keep it all straight.

"This is sounding all too familiar," Riku concluded, running a hand through his hair. "This is so much worse though, we've got to get to the bottom of that fast . . ."

Olette raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder. "Can I ask what happened to you all? I can tell you're all connected somehow; Namine, Kairi, Axel, Sora and you have all mentioned things from the past. No offense, but you guys are quiet strange, some of it is hard to understand."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Riku said with a shrug.

Just how much did Olette manage to piece together? He wouldn't have been surprised if Olette's intuition had led her to a majority of the truth's – no matter how ridiculous it would sound to her.

"I'm guessing I would have had to have been there?" she said quietly.

"More or less," Riku nodded in agreement. "But there are still things that aren't finished."

"I hope you find what you're looking for, Riku," Olette said, following him to the doorframe of the Tower. "I hope your journey comes to an end soon."

"Me too, this has gone on long enough," he shook his head, overlooking the town again, the forest off to one side. "Thanks again for the information. See you around Olette."

Olette nodded, waving a goodbye as she bent down, sitting on the small ledge of the Tower. Her emerald eyes watched as he descended the rickety ladder, disappearing into the crowd below. Dangling her legs over the edge, Olette leaned back on her palms looking at the cloudless sky overhead.

So much had happened lately.

Namine had come and whisked Roxas away.

Kairi, the heartless girl, came and went quickly, she seemed extremely popular.

Sora arrived, followed by Riku, both looking for Kairi.

Her head spun as she tried to make sense of everything that had transpired over twenty-four hours. All she knew for sure was one thing; Namine seemed to be in the center of everything that was going on.

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"Where are we going now, Sora?" Goofy asked, breaking the silence.

Sora shrugged, Market Square pressing in on them as they made their way towards their Gummi Ship. Their footsteps sounded against the cobbled street underfoot, the chatter of the few shopkeepers carrying on the wind.

"I'm not sure exactly," Sora said slowly, checking their small bag of items to make sure they had everything they needed before departing. "We should check in with Chip and Dale though, I'm sure something has gone wrong somewhere in the time we were here," Sora shook his head. "We never seem to catch a break."

Donald quacked impatiently, rolling his eyes as the Keyblade Master let out a laugh. Sora coughed awkwardly under Donald's stare, his laughter dying away as he mumbled an apology. Perhaps making light of the situation right now wasn't the best idea.

"Maybe a new World's opened up for us, they seem to appear daily now . . ."

Stretching his arms out before him, Sora picked up his pace, the idea of traveling once again making him eager. Leaving Donald and Goofy behind, Sora quickly ascended the stone stairwell leading to the edge of town where the Gummi Ship was parked. However, at the top of the stairs, Sora's run slowed, an eyebrow rising as he noticed Chip and Dale waiting outside the Gummi Ship.

His mind started to whirl, the two chipmunks never leaving their Ship unless something happened . . .

The Chipmunks paced back and forth, unaware of Sora standing feet away, worry etched on their faces as the mumbled to each other. As Donald and Goofy rounded the corner talking loudly, the chipmunks paused, their expressions momentarily frozen on their features.

"Belle called!"

"The Beast's gone crazy!"

They spoke at the same time, their high pitched voices merging into one, the words jumbling together.

"Something about a Rose," Chip finished eagerly.

"The Rose . . . oh man."

"Hyuck, he never let us see it."

"They got a hold of it!"

"Belle's worried about him; everyone's locked in her room."

"He locked them up again?"

Chip shook his head. "Belle said they're still free, but no one wants to wander around."

"I don't blame them, he's scary when he's angry," Donald quaked, remembering the Beast's anger from their last visit.

"Belle said she couldn't wait for you," Dale said. "She was going to find him herself."

Sora shook his head. "Belle was going after him, alone? Why would she . . .?"

"She was pretty sure that Organization XIII was back and that only the Rose would make Beast act this way. Belle went to get it back."

Sora sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. "If she tries anything, they'll kill her." Why did Belle have to be headstrong as well?

Sora sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair, why did Belle have to be so headstrong? "But she's a Princess of Heart, wouldn't they need her?" But was the Organization even after their pure hearts? Sora shook his head. "We should hurry either way; Belle's going to need some help."

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"Huh, black doesn't look all that bad on you," Axel mused as Roxas reappeared, clad in the black robe. "This is much better in my opinion."

Roxas let out a laugh at the red heads' response, the red head mumbling something about wearing _too_ much white. But, he found himself agreeing, the black didn't look all that bad on him. "I guess not, who knew," he shrugged. "But, tell me something, why is Kairi like that?"

Axel cast a sideways glance at Roxas, a smirk appearing on his features. "Why bother asking, you already know. The girl simply lost her heart to the darkness."

Roxas paused in the doorframe, his blood running cold. "What do you mean, I already know?" he asked slowly.

"I'm not that stupid," Axel said dryly. "I know that it was you who came here to rescue Kairi before, not Riku. The true question is – _why_ the change of heart?"

Roxas tried to keep his expression neutral, his heart pounding against his ribcage. "What?"

"Don't play dumb," Axel said; his voice harsh. "You're not that good at it."

Taking a deep breath, his thoughts all a jumble, Roxas turned around, looking Axel straight in the eye.

Roxas sighed, _why_ did nothing go the way he wanted it to? "Okay, fine, you caught me," he said at length, trying to find the right words. "I kidnapped Kairi from you, but it was simply a one time job. I stumbled into contact with this girl named Namine who believed I was someone else she knew, she kept calling me _Sora_. She informed me that I was supposed to be his reincarnation and the girl wouldn't leave me alone no matter what I did. So, I figured if I did what she wanted, she would simply disappear," Roxas shrugged. "I planned to lose her in the darkness, I figured that there was no way someone _that_ far in the light could appear, but she managed to – and brought Riku with her. I think they figured out what I was planning and came to stop me by force. Fools, and then you know what happened from there."

Axel raised an eyebrow, regarding the blonde intently. "So, you mean to tell me your _not_ one of Namine's little friends?"

Roxas shook his head, rolling his eyes. All he could do was hope the story fit the scenario as he lied through his teeth. He raised an eyebrow as Axel watched him intently, was there some kind of regret lurking there?

"So, what are you planning to do next?" Roxas said, breaking the silence.

"Just follow me," Axel said, turning on his heel.

He'd have to watch Roxas closely; he seemed like the slippery type.

"Hmm, I see," Roxas said falling in step behind Axel.

It looked like he might have some work ahead of him.

"You'll see when we get there. If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise."

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"You're sure about this, Yunie?" Rikku asked, looking over at Yuna.

Yuna paced back and forth in front of her two friends, her white wings batting with each movement. Yuna shook her head in response, a frown marring her features. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she paused, looking at the circular window before them. Smiling as she noticed no one on the other side of the pane, she turned back to her cousin, nodding. "I think so, there's really no turning back now, is there?"

Paine rolled her eyes, looking from the uppity blonde to the pensive brunette. "Thinking isn't good enough Yuna, you know that. You're either ready or not, pick one."

Rikku shot a glared at Paine, her blonde hair falling into her face as she flew closer to her. "Paine, you have no idea –"

"Rikku, don't," Yuna cut her off Rikku, holding a hand up to stop her. "Paine's right, I have to do this. You know what'll happen otherwise. I'm ready, let's go."

Rikku nodded, pumping her fist into the air before latching onto Yuna. "I knew you'd come around Yunie! Just think, afterwards things will start to go back to how they should be. We'll find –"

"Are you coming or what?" Paine's voice sounded; the small sprite at the next window, the screen ripped.

Yuna nodded, detangling herself from Rikku's grip. "Yes, we're coming, sorry Paine, c'mon Rikku."

Rikku laughed lightly, the baubles in her hair clanging together as she bounced forward. Yuna shook her head at Rikku's excitement before following the two in through the small opening. Once inside the room, the three paused, taking in their surroundings. A bed that looked hardly used was pushed up against the farthest wall, a majority of the room's walls lined with expensive looking machinery and computer gadgets.

"It looks kind of . . . blah," Rikku curled up her nose, her eyes bright. "How on earth do _all_ those people live here?"

"They're not all in this room, Rikku," Paine commented dryly, rolling her eyes.

Yuna sighed, ignoring their banter, making her way further into the room. Her blue and green eyes narrowed as she looked intently at everything, this looked like the sort of room it would be in.

"Now, where have they hidden you?" Yuna mumbled, wishing the Claymore Chip would be within sight.

"Here of course!" Rikku chirped, pointing dramatically at the computer terminal before flying over to it.

"I doubt it," Paine said, raising an eyebrow.

Yuna nodded in agreement, looking critically at the massive computer system. "Do you really think they'd hide it in the same place?"

Rikku nodded, sure of herself. "_Hello_? They have to run the Chip from somewhere don't they? This is the _perfect_ place; I mean really, you gave the Chip back with that touching speech Yunie! Why would you return for it?" Rikku shrugged. "Therefore, they would think the danger was over."

Yuna bit down on her lip, thinking Rikku's words over. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time," she shook her head. "But I want to find . . . hmm, maybe you're right Rikku."

"I'm always right," Rikku quipped. "Oh drive, where are you?" she called in a sing-song voice, turning to the computer terminal.

Hovering slightly, Rikku lowered herself to the computer's tower, looking intently for an entryway. Sighing, Rikku flopped onto the computer chair, frowning. "I don't see it!"

"How about there?" Paine drawled from behind Rikku.

Rikku whirled around, looking up at the grey haired warrior who simply pressed something Rikku couldn't see. Curiosity getting the better of her, Rikku's wings flapped slightly as she rose to see what Paine had found.

The computer whirled for a moment, thinking over the request it had just received. Rikku tapped her foot in annoyance, trying to keep in time with the whirling sounds as she waited impatiently before a sleek tray slid out from the jumble of device's overhead, a white chip sitting inside. Smirking at the blonde, Paine raised herself up, picking up the small chip.

"You're getting old, Rikku," Paine commented. "Maybe you're not the thief you think you are . . .?"

"Paine," Rikku moaned, pointing a finger at her. "I hadn't gotten that far if you hadn't noticed!"

"Whatever," Paine muttered with a shrug, tossing the chip in Yuna's direction. "You give it to Maleficent, you're the reason we ended up this way."

"Paine!" Rikku glared over at her. "That's mean and uncalled for!"

"Its okay Rikku," Yuna said, holding the chip close to her. "This is my fault anyway, you didn't ask for this to happen. I'll get us home; I won't break my promise to you both. Now I vote we get out of here before we get ourselves caught."

Paine nodded, hitting the button to retract the chips' tray back into the terminal. Stretching her arms out before her, she moved towards the slit in the screen as the terminal whirled to life behind them.

Unknown to the three, a message appeared on the computer screen.

The screen changed from red to black and back again.

Then, halfway to the freedom, an ear piercing sound crashed through the room, making them freeze in their tracks.

Yuna turned first, eyes wide. "No way . . ."

"Way!" Rikku shouted, surprised. "Way to go Paine! You set the alarm off!"

"We've got to go."

Yuna and Rikku nodded to her clipped response, the three sprites disappearing in a ball of light.

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_Beep, Beep, Beep_

Yuffie stopped, hearing the distant sound.

She had decided to go after Squall, tracking the moody brunette to the Bailey when they got surrounded by those white creatures. Yuffie was pretty sure that Sora had called them _Nobodies_. What she didn't understand was _why_ they kept coming, no matter how many times they beat the creatures down; new ones would appear in their place.

"Did you hear that Squall?"

Leon sighed, running a hand over his features. He might as well give up on telling Yuffie to call him Leon. "Hear what?" he settled on.

"Can't you hear it?" Yuffie snapped, throwing her Conformer after the Nobodies again. "I'm pretty sure that's the alarm for the Claymore Chip. Someone must have taken it out."

Leon shrugged. "It's just Cid."

Yuffie let out a laugh, taking a couple steps backwards to the Borough. "Cid might be dense sometimes, but I'm pretty sure he'd turn his own alarm off . . ." Leon narrowed his eyes, stowing his Gunblade away, following after the ninja. "Hmm? Is that Squall agreeing that I'm right?" Yuffie commented dryly, shaking her head. "Can I actually hear you say it?"

Silence, a stony glare sent in her direction.

Sighing, Yuffie shook her head, turning on her heel. "You're not much fun, you know," she laughed lightly before jumping off the ledge overlooking the Borough.

Leon shook her head at Yuffie's brashness as she swung her Conformer at any Heartless that were stupid enough to get in her way. Without another word, he vaulted over the low ledge as well, Merlin's small house just around the corner, Yuffie already gone from his view.

Yuffie smirked as she placed the Conformer back on her back, its blades hardly dirty. Stretching her arms out, she quickly ascended the few steps at the front door, pushing it open moments later.

"What's going on in here?" Yuffie huffed, hands on her hips as the door swung shut. "It sounded like we were under _attack_!"

Cid didn't respond; his back turned to the front door. Yuffie watched the pilot's hands fly over the keyboards, his voice muffled – although Yuffie figured he was intently cursing something. She shook her head though; somehow he managed to keep his cigarette between his lips. Aeris was standing behind him, shaking her head at something, worry in her eyes.

"Hey you two," Aeris said loudly over the deafening alarm.

Yuffie glanced over her shoulder, jumping back slightly as she noticed Leon standing there. When the hell had he arrived?

"Can you at least turn those speakers down?" Yuffie shouted, placing her hands over her ears.

Cid swore in return, his words lost to the noise.

Yuffie rolled her eyes, stalking into the room. "That's it, I'm unplugging this!"

Aeris shook her head, holding her hand out to stop her. Cid and Leon (alongside some of Merlin's magic) had spent the better part of a month trying to link the massive computer terminals together to make one large mainframe to control the town's defense systems. Aeris didn't want to think about what would happen if it was unplugged, Leon had mentioned that in lieu of electricity, they had to infuse it with Merlin's magic.

And with Merlin currently absent as he went to see Yen Sid about something, they were left to their own devices. The last thing they needed was a computer crash with still very little electricity available to them.

Yuffie frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was those sprites wasn't it? They came back here for it, sneaky little brats!"

"It is possible," Aeris said at length, looking at the room's occupants. "They're the only other people who knew about the Claymores, except for Sora."

"It wouldn't be Sora," Yuffie mumbled. "And to think that we believed them . . . maybe they were just lying before?" she mused, a smirk taking over her features. "Oh, finally something interesting! C'mon Squall, we're going on an adventure!"

"We should find out all the facts first."

"Killjoy," Yuffie grumbled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Well, this alarm is giving me a headache, I'm out of here. Just tell me what you find out later."

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"Belle?"

The corridor looked as gloomy as Sora had remembered. The red curtains were faded and torn, the lights lining the wall off, the moon casting an eerie light through the windows. Looking at the state of the corridor, he hoped that Belle and the others were alright. Glancing at the cream coloured door before him – the only bright spot in the gloomy hallway – Sora reached out a gloved hand, turning the doorknob, Keyblade held tightly in his grip.

"Sora, you are 'ere," came Lumiere's voice, as the candelabra came into view, his candles alight. "You have come to 'elp Belle?"

Sora called his Keyblade back, placing the small Papou Keychain in his pocket. He knelt down to the same level as the candelabra, as the other enchanted servants made their way over, the shadows kept at bay. "We will, we came as fast as we could. Do you know where Belle would have gone?"

Mrs. Potts hopped forward, Chip at her side. "She said she was going down to the West Wing to check on the Master and the Rose. Belle was very adamant about going alone."

Sora nodded, standing up. "Well, we'll go and check. I can tell that you're all worried about her," turning away from the enchanted servants, he cast a glance at his companions. "Come on, looks like things are just starting to get interesting."

Donald and Goofy nodded; their weapons at the ready. Smiling, Sora made his way back to the door, the corridor stretching out before them, Heartless baring their path.

. . . . . .

. . . .

. . . . . .

"She's not . . . here . . ." Sora muttered, looking around the room.

The Beast's bedchamber looked exactly like the rest of the Castle. The Canopy bed was torn to pieces; the fabric shredded and the wood that held the canopy up strewn across the room. The pictures that lined the wall looked like they had been torn by the claws of the Beast at some point. Against the large bay window, was a small circular table that was free of debris and no top was . . .

"Gone!" Donald quacked, throwing his staff to the ground in anger. "The Rose is gone!"

Sora and Goofy looked over at what Donald was pointing at; the stand the Rose usually stood on was empty.

"Where could it have gone?" Goofy questioned, scratching his head.

"It's probably at the same place as the Beast, you big palooka!"

Sora laughed at their interaction, the two always a sense of entertainment. He didn't know what he'd do if he found himself without the two, they had gone through so much together. "They have to be here in the Castle somewhere," Sora interrupted, heading back towards the door. "The Beast wouldn't just leave Belle and everyone alone."

"This place is huge though," Donald grumbled. "They could be anywhere."

"Maybe the Ballroom?" Sora ventured. "That is where we fought the Possessor."

Sora couldn't help but mention that, fighting that creature had amusing.

Without a doubt, he'd probably _never_ be given the chance to swing on that ornate (if not possessed) chandelier.

"Do you think they use the same place again?" Goofy asked; the Beast's room behind them.

Sora shrugged, placing his hands behind his head, starting down another set of stairs. "I'm not sure, but it's a possibility," There really weren't that many places in the castle. "The only other option would be the –"

Sora's voice trailed off as a crash sounded from beyond the ballroom door. The three paused momentarily, eyebrows rising as they glanced at one another.

"Hyuck, maybe that's the Beast," Goofy ventured.

"Give that back!" came a voice as they got closer, weapons in hand.

"That's Belle," Sora said, shaking her head.

Of course the headstrong brunette would actually succeed in tracking down a member of the Organization and then confronting them.

Picking up their pace, the three descended the remaining stairs, pausing outside the large ornate doors momentarily before shouldering it open. The large immaculate ballroom stretched out before them, the room back to its original glory after the Possessor had been destroyed. In the middle of the room stood Belle, who didn't even glance over at the new arrivals, her eyes trained on the cloaked figure on the second floor balcony. Sora followed Belle's gaze, taking a double look as he noticed the Beast stood beside the cloaked figure.

That was one thing Sora hadn't expected.

"Sora," Belle nodded, her eyes not leaving the sight before her. "Glad to see you made it in time."

Sora nodded, grinning at the taller woman. He had to give her credit, she had no idea what she was going up against, but he didn't see a flicker of fear in her eyes. Maybe she had read one too many books.

"What's going on here?" Sora said, Keyblade before him. "What's the Beast doing?"

"They took the Rose from the East Wing," Belle shook her head. "I assume that they threatened to destroy it – the Beast has a strong tie to that Rose, you see? – that's the only idea I can come up with. Why else would the Beast help them?"

"What are you after Xaldin?" he shouted, glancing up. How did he know that was Xaldin? "What do you want?"

Shoving his hood back with a smirk, Xaldin glanced down at the four standing below him. "Kingdom Hearts," he simply said, the Rose's case tucked under his arm.

"Kingdom Hearts?" Sora echoed; a sinking feeling in his chest. "Are you the ones that did that to Kairi?"

"Not personally."

"Give Kairi her heart back!" Sora said, hands balling into fists. This reminded him to much of two years ago. "Let her go!"

"Don't mess with the things you can't understand, boy."

A smirk still on his face, Xaldin brought his free hand out before him, snapping his fingers. The ballroom's ceiling briefly turned white, multiple forms of the Nobodies descending, their eyes trained on the four figures. "Destroy them."

"Belle, get out of here!" Sora shouted, running forward to meet the Nobodies. "We'll get the Rose back, no worries!"

Belle shook her head, holding her ground, glaring at the white creatures slowly started to form a circle around her. "I'm not leaving here without the Beast!"

"Belle, go." came the Beast's firm voice, his claws wrapped around the railing.

Belle bit her lip, recognizing the tone. Nodding her head slowly, she turned on her heel, heading for the double doors that led to the small balcony outside. "I'll be back though!" she called, slamming the door behind her.

Sora shook his head, only Belle would make that sound like a threat.

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Demyx sighed, lowering Kairi onto the bed, a frown appearing on his features. As he brought the covers up over her body, he shook his head, something was amiss here. Reaching for the nearest chair, Demyx brought it over to the bed, slumping. His thoughts ran through his mind as he ran his hand subconsciously through his blonde hair.

He wasn't sure what it could be, but _something_ was happening.

After everything Marluxia had tried the previous year . . . Demyx shook his head.

Whatever was going on, had been well thought out, not even a red flag was rising.

"Why did Axel have to find you first?" Demyx mumbled, glancing at the sleeping red head. "You should have been _mine_. I was supposed to find the Keyblade Master's Princess," he sighed, brushing a lock of her hair away. "But then Axel had to sweep in and take the glory, like always."

Lost in his thoughts, Demyx jumped slightly as Kairi shifted in the bed. He blinked a couple times, had she woken up? He sighed as he realized Kairi had simply moved to her side, her legs brought up to her chest as she held the sheets in her grip. Smiling slightly, Demyx brought a gloved hand up to her face, running it across her cheek. "Sleep well Princess."

If only he hadn't lost his temper with her earlier, it might have been him that threw Kairi into darkness . . .

He paused, raising an eyebrow as he saw Kairi's lips moving, no words coming forth. Warily, he found himself leaning closer to her, maybe he could pick up the odd word? A smirk appeared on his features, there could be a possibility that Kairi could lead them to where Sora and the other desirables might be hiding.

"_. . . Cold . . . Alone . . ." _came a quiet voice. _"Don't want . . . falling . . . darkness . . ."_

Inwardly, Demyx knew what this would look like if anyone walked in; Kairi asleep on the bed with him leaning over her, his hands on either side of her pillow. "So, the darkness didn't completely take hold of you? Axel must not have finished his task if you know, vaguely, what's happening to you . . ."

Kairi fell silent, her grip on the sheets loosening, the only movement becoming the rise and fall of her chest.

"Hmm, well, sleep well _Princess_," Demyx said again, taking a step back. "You'll be a whole new person tomorrow." Shaking his head, he turned on his heel, heading for the door.

Kairi slept on as the door closed silently behind Demyx, her eyebrows coming together, a grimace appearing on her face. She shifted again in the bed, burying her face into the sheets.

"_Sora . . . help me . . ."_

But the more she struggled, the easier the darkness could take hold.

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08/14/11


	12. 12: Infiltration

Namine paced back and forth, her footsteps echoing against the marble floor. She bit her bottom lip as she cast a glance through the sheer curtains, the lights of Twilight Town illuminating the forest. Shaking her head, she turned her back to it, glancing at the dimly lit room before her, childish drawings taped to the wall.

She ignored the drawings, her eyes drawn to the almost hidden staircase leading to the secret basement they had uncovered a year previous. Closing her eyes momentarily, she sighed, making her way over to the stairs, her footsteps muted on the stairs. The walls were lined with endless computer terminals and whirling gadgets, which gave way to the memory pods Sora had been placed in after Castle Oblivion. The stark whiteness of the pods was eerie in comparison to the dark corridor of computer terminals she had moved through.

"Even after all that, the Organization is still after him," she mumbled, reaching a hand out for the coolness of the pod. "Perhaps his memories would have been better left intact."

She paused, crystalline eyes widening slightly as she felt the hairs on the back stand up. It _felt_ like someone's eyes were on her, despite the fact she knew Riku wouldn't be that quiet. Closing her eyes momentarily, she let out a sigh, before turning on her heel, the empty corridor before her.

"I know that you're here," she said calmly, unafraid. "Show yourself, DiZ."

Namine looked on, unfazed, as DiZ appeared; the faint trace of the computer's coding surrounding him. Crossing her arms over her chest, Namine narrowed her eyes, watching his movements. She and DiZ might have worked together to get Sora and Riku out of Oblivion, but their united front had ended there.

DiZ looked down at the blonde teenager, his expression masked by the cloth covering his face. "What is it, Namine? I'm a little bit busy for your chatter now."

Namine waved his blunt comments away, her eyes narrowed. "I want to know what you're doing in Twilight Town. I have everything under control, this mission has nothing to do with you," she said matter-of-factly, cutting to the chase. "I think it's you that should be explaining yourself."

"Explain myself?" DiZ echoed, moving closer to her. "Why should _I_ have to explain myself to a sixteen year old girl with no memories? I hardly see the point," he paused for effect, intently watching Namine. "But, if you must know, I might be employed by him, but I will do as I see fit. Unlike you, there is nothing for me to lose."

"Do not hold that over my head, DiZ," she said, her voice clipped. "What the Organization did – I had little control over it. You should be well aware of that fact by now. By doing this, I will return to what I once was. You will not ruin that for me, you understand?"

DiZ merely looked down at her, his expression unfazed by Namine's words. "In this war, sides will mean little; it's all in how you protect yourself. You know full well that I could destroy you, whether we're on the same side or not."

"If you did that, you know what the effects would be," Namine said, cursing herself as her voice wavered. She paused; gauging DiZ's reactions, if he was going to follow through, this was the perfect time. "If you don't care about sides, then why are you here?" she asked after a moment.

"Revenge."

Namine shook her head, typical. "This is for your own benefit then? So what if you kill someone on the same side as you . . . as long as you get your revenge, everything is fine?" she said, taking a step forward. "I can think of a couple problems there."

DiZ didn't reply, the silence stretching on between them. "So high and mighty you sound, Namine. You don't even know who you are. Your true self could be just like me," DiZ drawled, smirking as Namine's expression faltered. "You can't deny the truth Namine – you are nothing but an empty shell." With a final look at her, DiZ vanished, leaving Namine standing amid the used memory pods and computer terminals.

"I'm not a shell," Namine shouted after him, finding her voice. She balled her hands into fists, her thoughts miles away. "I'm not what you say I am, I'm nothing like you!"

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Sora stumbled backwards from a blow, when had the Heartless gotten this strong?

"Are you okay, Sora?" Goofy called, throwing his shield at an approaching Heartless.

"Yeah, you don't look that good," Donald quaked.

Sora shook his head at their questions, using the Keyblade to sturdy himself. "I'm fine, just got the wind knocked out of me," Sora laughed, his gaze drifting to where Xaldin and the Beast stood on the upper balcony. "Is that all you have Xaldin? I'm a little disappointed!"

"It's far from over, I wouldn't get too cocky boy," Xaldin smirked.

Sora didn't reply, tightening his grip on his Keyblade. Xaldin minutely shook his head at the trio's actions, glancing at the silent Beast beside him. "If you destroy them Beast, the Rose will be yours."

Sora's expression faltered; did he just hear what he thought he did? The Beast was one of their friends – could he really fight the Beast? Sora couldn't imagine the Beast as an enemy. Sora glanced over at the motionless Beast, obviously wrestling with the idea of what to do.

Sensing the Beast's distraction, Xaldin rolled his eyes. "If that's your answer," Xaldin shrugged, glancing at the Rose to the drop from the balcony they were on to the floor underfoot.

The motions seemed to snap the Beast out of his thoughts and letting out a deafening roar; lunged off the second floor balcony. Sora blinked, reacting instantly as he brought his Keyblade up before him. The Beast's claws clanged against the metal, the force sending Sora skidding back a few steps.

"Beast, stop this, we're your friends!"

The Beast shook his head, swiping his claws again, just missing Sora. "This is a matter of my Castle, nothing else."

Goofy, seeing that was Sora hesitant to attack; brought his hand back, sending his shield flying towards them. The shield hit the Beast with a dull thud, the shield rolling silently away as the Beast let out a roar.

"Sora!" Donald yelled, letting loose a barrage of lightening. "Snap out of it!"

Sora shook his head, bringing the Keyblade up. "I'm sorry about this Beast," Sora said, bringing the Keyblade down.

Xaldin smirked, watching the fight below with faint interest. "Who knew this stupid flower would be so . . . what is this pathetic flowers power?"

"Give me strength!" Sora shouted from below.

"Roger," Goofy responded, flashing a thumbs up.

Xaldin looked down as the ballroom underneath the balcony lit up, an eyebrow rising. The light enveloped those below, only their silhouettes visual to Xaldin before the light subsiding almost as quickly as it came.

Mildly interested, Xaldin glanced down, doing a double take. "Two Keyblades? Where the hell did the brat find that?"

Sora seemed to move across the Ballroom floor at twice the speed, the Keyblade's slicing through the air at a pace Xaldin could just keep track of. With speed Sora hadn't possessed moment's earlier, his Keyblade's rapidly hit the Beast, the Beast unable to retaliate that quickly.

"This ends now!" Sora yelled, swinging the two Keyblades as he brought them down once again.

Light enveloped the room once more, making Xaldin bring an arm up to shield his eyes. When the light subsided moments later, Sora had reverted back to his normal attire, one Keyblade in hand, Donald and Goofy flanking him on either side. Xaldin shook his head; he had expected the Beast to be taken out by the Keyblade Bearer.

"It's over Xaldin," Sora yelled, his Keyblade held before him. "Give us the Rose."

Xaldin didn't move, unfazed by Sora's words. "I already told you, boy, don't get cocky. We're not through here."

The surprise was evident on Sora's features. "What?"

Smirking, Xaldin dropped the Rose's case behind him, his six lances materializing beside him, flying dangerously around his figure. "This will be your last fight."

"You won't win Xaldin!" Sora yelled, eyes narrowed, Keyblade in hand as the lances hurtled towards him.

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Demyx couldn't help but smirk at what he'd found out, Kairi was regaining consciousness. She still held onto something, her heart still clutching onto a portion of the light. Whatever Axel had claimed to do, hadn't worked . . . _or_ had Axel even tried? Demyx paced the hallway, his thoughts chasing each other around in his mind, was Axel trying to fool them? Did he have something hiding up his sleeve? Was that blonde haired kid on it? Where had that kid come from anyway? Demyx sighed, he thoughts were leading him nowhere.

Demyx wondered idly where Axel might have been hiding as he descended the stairs, wanting to see if any of his thoughts fit the red heads actions. He rolled his eyes as he pushed open the door at the end of the stairs, another white room staring back at him. He understood why Xemnas had chosen the white décor – it seemed to hide their true intentions. He shook his head, his blonde hair falling into his eyes and grumbling to himself, he reached for his hood, bringing it up.

"You wanted to show me . . . a door?"

Demyx paused, an eyebrow rising as the voice drifted around the corner.

"No, not _the_ door, what's behind it."

Demyx grinned as he heard Axel and Roxas's voices as he moved to lean against the nearest wall. Closing his eyes, Demyx listened to their conversation, comparing their words to the thoughts running around his mind.

"So, what _is_ behind the door then?" came Roxas's voice.

"You'll have to see," Axel shrugged; his tone blasé as he past the blonde. "But, we're wasting time here. If you want to find out, I suggest you follow."

Roxas frowned, but followed the red head up staircase, Axel lazily opening the door at the top. Looking bored, he ushered Roxas inside, rolling his eyes as he gave the blonde a push, pitching him forward. "And this, is the Lost World, got it –" Demyx smirked as the door closed, leaving him alone in the corridor.

The Realm of Light and Dark . . .

_Why_ would Axel be taking the kid there?

Turning on his heel, he had the feeling that Axel was up to something. It was just too convenient for him to whisk Roxas away that fast, the Lost World was exactly that. It was _Lost_, no occupants survived the darkness, the world in a constant, ever changing state of ruin.

Shaking his head, his thoughts drifted back to Kairi and the predicament she was currently in. What Axel had tried to do . . . _why_ was she still vaguely aware of what was happening to her? She should have been a blank slate, a vacant soul, just like she had been in the past.

"Oh, you'll meet your end, Axel," Demyx mumbled, a pool of darkness appearing before him, contrasting against the white walls. "I'll make sure of it."

Darkness enveloped Demyx as he stepped into the darkness. He could feel it pressing up against him, running across his cloak as if trying to find a glimmer of light it could smother. Ignoring the darkness around him, Demyx pressed on, his mind set. Mumbling under his breath, the darkness slowly started to dissolve, pushing itself away from him as he moved forward, a white room coming into view.

He was going to knock Axel off that high pedestal he put himself on.

As the last wisps of darkness dissolved, Demyx froze on the outskirts of the room.

In the usually busy room, only Axel and that kid were there, standing amid all the different pedestals.

"Where's everyone else?" Demyx's voice echoed through the vacant room.

Axel paused as he turned around, casting a brief look at Demyx. "Obviously, they're still on their missions," Axel rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you were _that_ dumb."

Demyx glared at the red heads back, tired of his higher-then-thou attitude. "Just shut up Axel," he shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. It looked like he was going to have to wait for his opportunity to call Axel's bluff.

_But just you wait_, he thought idly. Axel would get what he deserved in the end. They always did.

"Hmm, you say something, Demyx?" Axel called, only mildly interested.

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Riku pushed through the final branches of the evergreen trees out of his way. It was just his luck that Namine would position herself so far away from human contact. He narrowed his eyes as one of the evergreen's branches grazed his arms, leaving a red line against his arm in its wake. He shook his head as he stepped out of the small forest and into the wide clearing, the Mansion before him.

The once golden gates loomed overhead, rust claiming every surface. He strode up the gates, pushing them ajar, rising an eyebrow as the rusted gates didn't squeak in protest. He had expected them to screech, alerting Namine inside of a presence outside, but then anyone who was after her, could simply materialize inside the building. The grounds of the Mansion were full of weeds, the grass untamed as it claimed nearly every surface, vines making their way up the side of the Mansion.

However, the Mansion's ornate door creaked loudly as Riku pushed on it. The light from outside shone inside, illuminating the less then cheery interior. A thick coat of dust seemed to hang on every surface, the curtains torn over time, a dust covered table pushed up against the furthest wall.

"Namine, are you here?" his voice echoed through the empty foyer.

A door creaked from the second floor, making Riku reach back for his Keyblade, Oblivion appearing in hand. Quiet footsteps sounded above before Namine appeared, the bright girl sticking out amid all the dust and dim interior. "I'm glad that you could make it, Riku."

Riku raised an eyebrow at the blonde's tone as the started towards the stairs, trailing her hand along the banister. Riku wasn't sure what it was, but something about the blonde was off. Shaking it off, he made his way across the floor (leaving footprints in the dust as he went) while Namine's actions made him wonder.

"Are you alright?" he asked, meeting her at the top of the staircase, worry in his tone. "What happened?"

Namine shook her head, pushing Riku's hand off her arm. They had spent enough time together over the past year to understand the others' feelings with little comment between them. "Don't worry about it," she simply commented, smiling through it all. "It hardly matters."

Riku glared at her, used to Namine hiding her feelings behind words. "It does matter," he replied, taking her hand. "You know I'll get it out of you one way or another."

Namine shook her head, letting out a laugh as she allowed Riku to lead her. "It's a complicated matter, Riku. I'm really sorry," she mumbled, dropping her hand from his. "It's just . . . no, its not . . ."

Riku let out a sigh, Namine fumbling over her words, stopping a couple feet back from him. "You'll tell me eventually, I assume?" he asked lightly, opening up the door at the end of the hallway. "You know you can't solve this all on your own."

Namine smiled, stepping into the White Room. "I hate to change the subject on you, but did you find anything in Twilight Town?"

Riku closed the door behind them, Namine drifting towards the windows overlooking the forest, the sheer curtains fluttering in a non-existent breeze. She stopped near the bay windows, staring out at the outside world. Namine didn't make any motion to brush the curtains back, but merely clasped her hands behind her back.

"I ran into Olette early on, it seems that the Organization was here after you whisked Roxas away. From the way she described him, it could only be Axel."

Namine remained motionless, her back to Riku. "Organization XIII must be planning something; why else would they need a Princess of Heart . . ."

Riku nodded, sinking into one of the white chairs that adorned the vast room, an used table before it. "Olette mentioned that too, saying that Axel needed Kairi for something, but what? What would they need her for?"

"She said that?" Namine repeated, looking over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed at him. "What good would Kairi be to them _without_ a heart?"

Riku shook his head; no answers seemed in sight except more dead end questions. He sunk further down into the chair, a frown appearing on his features. What would they want with her, with her heart? Kairi was supposed to be _safe_ back in the Destiny Islands, not thrown into disaster again . . .

"All these questions are leading us nowhere," Namine said calmly. "If I could only get in contact with Roxas, we'd have an idea about Organization XIII's plans." Namine sighed, turning her back to the window. She slowly crossed back across the room, sinking down into the chair opposite from Riku's, a small smile on her face. "I know it's not a helpful answer, but perhaps all we can do is wait."

"You're always one step ahead, aren't you?" Riku smirked, leaning back in the chair."

"I know what I'm doing," Namine hedged. "Did you manage to find out anything about Sora?"

"Not much," Riku muttered, shaking his head. Wherever he went to, Sora always seemed to leave little information behind. "Olette said Sora past through here soon after Kairi's disappearance, naturally, Sora left moments later. However, he asked that if Kairi returned here, to send her to Hallow Bastion."

"Hallow Bastion," Namine echoed, eyebrows rising. "Isn't that where . . .?"

"It is," Riku said. "Sora and Kairi lost their hearts there and I –"

"Was possessed by the darkness," Namine supplied.

Riku nodded. "So where, or what, do we do now?"

"We wait," Namine said after a moment. "We wait for Roxas. I don't know what Organization XIII is planning and without that, I can't plan a strategy."

Riku frowned, he hated that his fate currently rode on what _Roxas_ found. Letting out a sigh, he pushed himself up from his chair, walking over to the large bay window. "How long will that take?"

Silently, Namine pushed herself out of her chair, soundless approaching Riku. "I'm hoping only a couple days, but it could be a week, maybe even months, before Roxas finds something useful." She could just imagine what was running through Riku's mind. "It all depends on how long it takes Organization XIII to trust him. That, I have to leave up to fate."

"Fate already has it out for us," Riku muttered.

Namine smiled warily. "It was a long time ago. Fate is excellent at forgiving people."

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Yuffie moved stealthily through the Bailey, her feet hitting the ground under the ledge soundlessly. Her storm grey eyes glanced around her surroundings, the tangled mess of the Iron Gate before her. She smirked at the sight of the destroyed Gate before her, the Castle looming overhead behind it.

It looks like the Heartless attack had done something good – the gate was mostly destroyed, only a portion of it still standing.

"Looks like you're out of luck Squall," she grinned, stepping closer to the mess. "Fate seems to be on my side now."

She was the only one of the group who didn't remember anything about the Castle, being a mere child when the darkness came. Leon had _always_ said that the grounds there were dangerous and never let her go, usually sticking her under the watchful eye of Aeris. Thankfully, she had managed to shake off the flower girl in the Market.

"I wonder if they're trying to _hide_ something?" she mumbled, slipping easily past the gates. It wouldn't surprise her if Squall was trying to hide the good stuff from her. "It can't be that dangerous," she grumbled, stretching her hands out before her. "Cloud and Tifa have been here for _ages_!"

Lost in her thoughts, Yuffie jumped at the sound of clanging metal, the sound echoing through the empty Bailey. She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage at getting caught off guard like that. Okay, so _maybe_ the old Hallow Bastion Castle scared her a little bit.

"Maybe there's a lot of Heartless here?" she mumbled to herself, grabbing her Conformer.

Her thoughts jumped to Cloud, Tifa and Squall – the three had been spending a lot of time on the old Castle grounds doing _something_. Maybe there were a lot Heartless there and they were trying to keep them from reaching the town? Yuffie nodded her head; she could be on to something.

Maybe they'd _need_ her help. Maybe Squall_ wasn't_ enough this time.

Gripping her Conformer tightly, Yuffie slowly started forward, storm grey eyes taking in her surroundings. She took a deep breath as she reached the nearest corner, her Conformer raised, her expression falling as there was nothing there.

"Honestly Yuffie," she mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. Of course there would be nothing – it _was_ a forgotten, abandoned Castle anyway. "You call yourself a ninja and you're jumping at nothing!"

"Are you having second thoughts Yuna?" Yuffie paused near the end of the path, a monotone voice drifting down from the platform overhead. "We all want to go home. If you _won't_ do it, give it to me."

A wide grin crept onto Yuffie's features at the commanding tone – she had found exactly what she was looking for. Trying to keep an eye on her footing, Yuffie silently crept to the end of the path, pressing her back into the wall. Ignoring the rocks cutting into her back, Yuffie fumbled for the pouch on her belt, muttering to herself. She shook her head as her fingers brushed against the small compact mirror Aeris had given her earlier – '_for those situations'_ the flower girl had said with a wink – and held it out before her. Adjusting the mirror slightly, Yuffie smirked as she saw the platform's reflection, three small figures located in the middle.

"It's those damn sprites," she whispered to herself. "I _knew_ we couldn't trust them."

If only Squall had listened to her for once.

"No Paine," Yuna said, holding the Claymore's chip closer to her. "I want to do it. I can do it, it has to be me. I'm the one behind this whole ordeal –"

"Yunie, don't say that!"

Yuna shook her head, smiling at the blonde. "You don't have to protect me, Rikku. You know it as well as I do, I brought all this on myself," Yuna held up her hand to stop Rikku's protest, turning her attention to the grey haired warrior. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this – both of you actually. But, I know this will get us home, we should get going though, Malificent's waiting."

Rikku let out a squeak of joy, pumping her fist into the air before latching onto the brunette. "That's great news Yunie! We'll be going home soon!" Excitement rushing through her, Rikku started chattering away in Al Bhed, twirling around the other two.

Yuffie blinked, dropping the small mirror to her side. Maleficent . . . she _had_ heard them correctly, hadn't she? She frowned, her eyebrows coming together in conclusion – didn't Sora defeat the witch two years ago? She remembered hearing about it, about how Maleficent had become a Dragon, the fight nearly impossible to win . . .

How could Maleficent be back?

She glanced over her shoulder, the main square of Hallow Bastion barely visible beyond the Bailey. She knew Aeris would want to know . . . but _hadn't_ Squall taken off to the Castle? "Well, Cloud and Tifa don't know what's happening . . ." she reasoned it out, subconsciously stepping out onto the now vacant platform. "Those three we're heading there . . . oh! I don't have time to worry about Squall!"

She could feel the phone in her shorts' pocket, but ignored it. Squall would only slow her down with multiple questions before ordering her back to town to _wait_ with Aeris. Narrowing her eyes, Yuffie glared up at the looming castle, her mind made up. If she ran into Squall on her way, so be it. He could be angry with her later.

Grinning, a sense of adrenaline running through her, Yuffie's feet hit the pavement underfoot loudly. All sense of secrecy and stealth was gone from her mind as she quickly tried to devise a plan.

All she had to do was make it to the Library; it was always a safe haven among the Heartless-ridden corridors. For some reason, they always seemed to avoid the two-floor room, perhaps because it was so easy to get lost among the bookshelves. She shook the thought from her head, if she remembered correctly; there was a communication device on the second floor. She could easily get in contact with Sora from there . . .

"Oh Sora," she sighed, pushing the old ornate doors ajar, slipping inside. "I have a job for you!"

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Sora sighed, bringing his Keyblade up to defend against another one of Xaldin's lances. He shook his head, pushing the lance away with his Keyblade, his breath coming heavy. He couldn't keep this up much longer; he could only fight against Xaldin's multitude of lances for so long. Sora could feel Xaldin's haunting eyes on him.

A quick glance over at his companions, informed Sora that his companions weren't faring much better, their stamina depleted as well. Donald's magic was all used up, the duck now using his staff as a weapon, swinging it at the Heartless's that approached him – the lances seemed intent on Sora alone.

If this kept on much longer, Xaldin would be able to swoop in and kill them all in one move.

Then, they wouldn't have _anyone_ standing in their way.

"You . . . won't win . . . Xaldin!" Sora yelled, unable to keep his voice stable.

"You're loosing strength, boy. How much longer can you keep this up?"

Was it him, or did he hear _amusement_ in Xaldin's voice?

"I can," Sora hit another lance away from him. "Keep going."

"This is your final show," Xaldin said, seeing Sora stagger. "It's over."

With a wave of his hand, he sent the four lances straight for Sora.

"Sora!" Donald yelled, turning around, Goofy not far behind him.

Sora raised his Keyblade, his arms feeling heavy. Sora staggered; his footing slipping as the Keyblade connected with one of the lances. Sora winced as the Keyblade jerked back at him from the impact, letting out a breath. Sora blinked, shaking his head, he had to remain focused. He swept his Keyblade before him again, knocking another lance away, the vibrations from the impact running up the Keyblade. His grip slackened slightly, making Sora curse inwardly as he glanced around him, fatigue setting in.

_**Whack**_.

Surprised, a yell escaped Sora's lips, the brunette crashing to ground moments later from the impact, his Keyblade unable to support him. His Keyblade skidded across the ballroom floor, out of his reach.

"Sora! Get up!" Donald yelled, unable to help the brunette, a cluster of Heartless surrounding them.

"The Keyblade Wielder is finished," Xaldin said calmly, his lances hovering over Sora's still frame. "He has no strength left to continue this pointless fight. He will die here – do you have any _final_ words, boy?"

"I can," Sora said with some effort, trying to push himself up, his legs not wanting to cooperate. "I won't give up."

Sora shook his head, Xaldin's words drowned out as a loud roar filled the room, echoing through the large expanse. Sora cringed at the sound, glancing around the room, his vision swimming before him. He heard the ballroom doors leading to the balcony slam open, the ornate doors protesting against the violence. He could see the Beast appear in the opening, charging forward and out of Sora's line of vision.

"Beast!" Sora called, but his voice couldn't hold the same tone of surprise. He tried again to force himself up, bracing his hands on the floor as he shook his head, the room spinning around before him. He paused momentarily as a hand fell onto his shoulder, helping the fallen brunette into a sitting position. "Belle?"

Belle nodded, smiling at him. "I wouldn't worry too much Sora," Belle commented, glancing up at the Beast. "He knows what he's doing."

"What about the Rose though?"

Belle sighed, a faint smile appearing on her features. "It doesn't matter. The Beast realized that I like him the way that he is, his appearance doesn't matter. I like everyone just the way they are; they're all amazing in their own special way."

Sora nodded, running Belle's words through his mind. "You managed to find his heart then, his light shone through."

"Yes, I suppose you could say that."

Sora grinned, glancing at the scene taking place beside him. The lances that had hovered over Sora seemed to have been displaced when the Beast appeared, the lances now hanging motionless in the air, a couple trailed behind the Beast, unable to track his quick movements. Quickly, the Beast lunged from the main floor of the ballroom to the second floor, his clawed hands wrapping around the banister. His feet touched down easily on the flooring, his claws reaching out for Xaldin, who had called forth his lances once again.

"You lose Beast," Xaldin said, his lances creating an effective barrier. "You were warned; your Rose or your friends," Xaldin shook his head, watching impassively as the Beast tried to get through the lances. "You lose."

Time seemed to pause as Xaldin pushed the Rose's glass case over the banister.

The container seemed to fall in slow motion, the descent longer then it should've been.

Belle gasped, eyes widening.

Goofy lifted his shield up as a defense, unable to move forward.

Belle pushed herself up off the ornate flooring, stepping around Sora.

Donald let out a quack of surprise, letting loose a barrage of thunder on the Heartless.

Belle's eyes tracked the Rose's descent, hands outstretched but still too far away.

Sora cursed himself, his limbs still feeling heavy.

The Rose's case was mere moments from shattering, the Rose's fate all but sealed.

Willing herself to move quicker, Belle leapt forward, her fingers grabbing the cool case.

"Way to go, Belle!" Sora called, the roar from the Beast all but drowning him.

Belle grinned as she collided with the ground, the breath knocked out of her, the Rose's case in her tight grasp.

Sora grinned as he took in the triumphant look on Belle's face to the Beast on the upper level, the lances now lying haphazardly on the ground. Xaldin didn't seem fazed at his only defense being thwarted as he cast his eyes down at the situation below.

"Do you still wish to defy us, Beast?" He shook his head, glancing down at Sora. "You as well, Keyblade Wielder, it is a futile attempt. You don't possess the right . . . qualities, until our next encounter then." Smirking as a pool of darkness appeared him, Xaldin simply stepped backwards, the darkness claiming him.

Silence filled the ballroom. Sora inwardly cursed himself; if only he hadn't gotten caught up in the overwhelming number of Heartless . . . it had all gone _exactly_ to Xaldin's plans.

"We should get going then," Sora said quietly, his Keyblade reverting back to a keychain without the presence of darkness. "If anything happens again, please send word to us," Sora said, suddenly unsure what to say to the Beast and Belle.

Belle nodded, the Rose's case sitting at her feet. "We will, do come back and visit again – hopefully it won't be as _disastrous_ the next time you're here," Belle smiled. "Take care out there, you seem to have quiet the journey before you."

Sora grinned, flashing her a thumbs up as Donald and Goofy approached him. "We will, you don't have to worry. Take care of her for us Beast, oh, and don't destroy Xaldin without us."

Beast nodded in response, placing a hand protectively on Belle's shoulder.

"Master, Mademoiselle," came Lumiere's voice as he bounded into the room. "There are some guests in the hall. They say they need to speak to Sora immediately."

The trio looked at each other, eyebrows raised in confusion. "Hyuck, it's probably Chip and Dale."

Sora nodded, stepping away from the two, his legs now listening to him. "I wonder what it could be," Sora shook his head. "So much is going on . . ."

"Sora! Sora!" Chip shouted as soon as Sora pushed the ballroom doors open. "Yuffie called us from Hallow Bastion; she needs you to come immediately."

Sora let out a sigh. "Is it the Nobodies and the Heartless again?" Why did _everything_ seem to be drawn to that town?

The two chipmunks shook their heads. "Yuffie said she found something she needs you to see, she stressed its important!" Chip explained, bouncing on his feet. "She wants you to meet her at the old library – alone."

"Alone?" Sora echoed. "Why?"

"She doesn't want to worry Leon and Aeris," Dale supplied.

Sora nodded slowly. "Alright, I guess we're going to Hallow Bastion then. I wonder what Yuffie found out?"

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other, shaking their heads, an unreadable expression on Donald's face. "We don't have time to get distracted with her theatrics. We're not staying long enough to get roped into one of her ridiculous plans!"

Sora nodded, rolling his eyes at Donald's rules. "Sure, sounds good," he said idly, half paying attention. "Now let's get of here."

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08/21/11


	13. 13: Discovery

"Yuffie?" Sora's voice echoed through the empty library.

The shelves towered overhead, looming over the brunette. Spines of books stared out at him, the books all shoved tightly together, making pulling one out nearly impossible. Sora shook his head as he turned around another shelf lined corridor, this was the most oddly laid out library he had ever visited. It looked like it hadn't really changed since the last time he'd been there.

"Is she even _here_?" came Donald's dry response, the duck unimpressed.

"Sora!" came Yuffie's voice as they rounded another bookshelf. "It took you long enough, jeez!"

Pausing, Sora glanced around, finding the energetic ninja on the second floor. A huge grin had appeared on Yuffie's features as she waved down at him. "We were a little busy, you know." he replied, grinning.

Yuffie shook her head, the ninja hoisting herself up, landing neatly at Sora's feet a couple seconds later. Sora jumped back at Yuffie's actions, not expecting her to jump down over the ledge.

"Scared you, huh?" Yuffie said smugly, hands on her hips. "Always knew you had to have a weak spot.

Sora rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. "Well, I can't say I ever expected someone jumping off a balcony to see me, Yuffie"

"Glad to be the first," Yuffie shrugged. "Now you'll never –"

"What did you have to show us?" Donald quacked, annoyed. "We don't have time for your nonsense."

Yuffie frowned, glancing from Sora to Donald, Goofy behind him. "I was getting to that, way to ruin the mood," she rolled her eyes, rocking back on her heels. "Alas, you remember those sprites, right? The ones who tried to steal the Claymore's last time? I _told_ Squall it would happen, but did he listen to me? No, he always thinks he's right; that jerk –"

"Get to the point," Donald interrupted, aggravated.

Yuffie narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, they came back, okay? You sure know how to kill a good story, you know? They somehow got into Merlin's house, no one was home at the time, and they managed to locate the chip and take off again. You probably heard the alarm going off, right? Well, unless Cid managed to shut the terminal down. I set off to find Squall and the others and walked right into those sprites instead." Yuffie grinned widely.

"Hyuck, where are they now?" Goofy asked, looking around the open space.

"Well, I wasn't technically with them," Yuffie admitted. "It was more like I was eavesdropping. But, that's not the point! Sora – Maleficant is back."

"You have to be mistaken," Sora shook his head. "We defeated her two years ago, she _can't_ be here."

Yuffie shrugged as she turned on her heel, clasping her hands behind her back. "Well, it's either her or she's gone and cloned herself," laughing, she spun around again, grabbing Sora's hand, pulling him forward. "Apparently, she promised them something, so come on! I think I overheard Yuna mention something about going _home_."

Sora sighed, allowing the ninja to pull him forward, a destination in mind. "But what would _Maleficent_ want with the Claymores?" It just didn't make any sense in his opinion.

"Blackmail?" Yuffie quipped without missing a beat. "Who knows what goes on in a wicked witch's mind?"

Donald's eyes narrowed at the ninja, taking her words with a grain of salt. "We're not here for games."

Yuffie huffed, coming to a stop as she glared down at the duck. "If you don't want to wait, you know where the exit is," she shrugged. "But don't come crying to me when Sora and I defeat her."

"You won't be able to beat her, Yuffie," Sora said, breaking in. "Maleficent is . . . she's not easy to defeat. You have no idea what she's like."

"Just like you don't know what I've gone through," she responded, not missing a beat.

Donald shook his head, a scowl appearing as Yuffie waved him off, unconcerned. Sora smiled warily at Donald, fully aware of the duck's temper, as he followed after Yuffie. Goofy sighed as he shrugged at Donald before following after the Keyblade Master. Donald mumbled something under his breath as he followed after the three, Yuffie's voice the loudest.

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Saix rolled his eyes, annoyance present on his features as he entered the realm that hung between darkness and light. Things didn't seem to want to go the way he had desired it. The Superior had sent him to the forsaken Hallow Bastion in order to destroy the Heartless surrounding the town. Saix had planned to use the mass confusion that had gripped the town to eliminate the Keyblade Master, but somehow Sora had evaded him.

All he had gotten in return was a swordsman, a martial artist and three annoying sprites in the rundown old Castle.

"Huh, you're back already," drawled a voice, making Saix's annoyance deepen.

"Don't act so excited," he commented, his eyes falling onto Demyx, Axel not far behind him, a blonde kid following the latter around. "Who the hell is that?"

"Hmm, did exactly what Xemnas asked for," Axel said with a shrug, nodding in acknowledgement to Saix. "I managed to find the elusive second Keyblade Wielder of the Light and bring him _here_."

Saix's smirk grew marginally as he glanced between Demyx and Axel. "You were always incompetent, Demyx. You fail to complete every mission, but yet Axel manages to complete his _and_ yours –"

Demyx scowled, Axel's actions flying under the radar again. "Right, well Axel _did_ let the Princess of Heart –"

"Open her heart to the darkness?" Axel supplied, rising an eyebrow. "A little bit longer and the Princess will lose her sanity."

"That would work," Demyx said, his tone level as he held Axel's gaze. "_If_ she was completely lost within the darkness . . ."

Saix raised an eyebrow at Demyx's words, but remained silent as he glanced over at Axel. "Why the hell would I do something that stupid?" Axel commented idly, unfazed.

"I heard her," Demyx said, not missing a beat. "I heard the Princess's mumbling's, she knows she's trapped within the darkness." Axel shrugged, not bothering to respond to the comment as he turned on his heel. "You're trying to cover up your mistakes," Demyx continued. "You didn't think anyone would notice, did you? If she's been claimed by the darkness, her heart should have appeared by now . . ." Demyx shook his head. "At this rate she'll find a way to break through the darkness, but that was your plan, wasn't it? You only tried to convert her to overcome your failure in Twilight Town regarding _him_." Demyx rolled his eyes, nodding at Roxas.

". . . Me?"

"Shut up," Demyx's glare deepened slightly. "You did a half-ass job at converting the Princess and then this kid magically appears on our side? Care to explain how you did that? He _defeated_ you in Twilight Town moments before DiZ appeared. However, the next time you meet him, he's on your side? If DiZ was involved in this, he'd make sure the kid didn't get influenced by us. Something seems wrong here, where'd you find him?"

"He was on the Twilight Path." Axel replied, eyes narrowed.

How had Demyx managed to stumble upon the truth so quickly? He had worked so hard to make sure all his tracks were covered.

"Alone?"

"Riku and Namine were there –"

"Hmm, _two_ traitors, you killed them, didn't you?"

"As I was saying, Roxas here was already fighting them."

Demyx had to give Axel credit; he managed to hide his reactions well, his expression hardly changing with the accusations.

"Enough," Saix said, bored by all this. "While your detective skills are _impressive_ Demyx, why bring it up now when there's no audience?" Demyx frowned, hearing the sarcasm dripping from Saix's voice. "As for the arrival of the second Keyblade Wielder, it might have just _saved_ you, Axel. But, pray tell – _why_ were both Riku and Namine fighting you?"

Roxas blinked as the conversation turned from Axel and Demyx to him. He cursed himself inwardly, bluffing had never been his specialty; he'd always left that to Hayner. "They used me," he settled on, shrugging. "They wanted me to join their cause, hunting me down relentlessly. After awhile, I started to somehow evade them, only to have them send DiZ after me. They would make time freeze, appear wherever I went, then _you_ guys show up and only bother me once? Obviously it was the right choice."

Saix's eyes narrowed, holding Roxas's gaze after the blonde finished speaking. "What else do you know about them?"

Roxas shrugged. "Only that Namine was held here."

"Impressive," Saix said, smirking. "For a mere acquaintance, you seem to know enough about her predicament."

Roxas's expressive froze momentarily at Saix's cutting words. He was going to blow it, he knew it. Axel glanced briefly at Roxas; his big mouth was going to be the end of him. But would that make the game more interesting? If the Organization's attention was drawn to Roxas instead of him . . . it might . . .

"Yes, well, she was trying to persuade me to help her."

"Hmm and I see that didn't work," Saix commented drily.

Demyx watched with calculating eyes, his eyes narrowing. So Roxas was being hunted down by _both_ Riku and Namine, only to turn on them and join up with Axel. It was just too perfect a scenario. But _why_ would Namine need someone to enter Castle Oblivion, hadn't she gathered enough information during her own stay?

_The game might have just gotten more interesting_, he thought idly, watching Roxas.

If Roxas was a spy for Namine, it made sense that his intended target was Kairi. However, as a Keyblade Wielder of the Light, he had to have known that he couldn't unlock the darkness that surrounded Kairi. Could that have been where Axel had come in, just barely plunging Kairi into the darkness?

Roxas fidgeted underneath Demyx's stare as he tried to look anywhere but at the blonde. They were getting too close to the truth, when he said he wasn't a good liar, he meant it. Letting out a sigh, he reached up, flattening his bangs out of habit. Across the room, Demyx raised an eyebrow, the simple motion reminding him of something.

"I was right," Demyx said, nodding at his summary of events. "The traitor is you; everything that's happened can be linked back to you. The Princess of Heart, the Second Keyblade Wielder – I bet it was you that let that memory changing witch go free too –"

"How could I?" Axel interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Marluxia had that place guarded with that Watcher of his."

"We all remember the Watcher," Demyx sighed. Not trusting any of the Organization in his plans, Marluxia had made Zexion and Vexen create some kind of secret Watcher so he could keep an eye on Namine, successfully managing to keep the blonde witch hostage. "But, it was reactivated to watch Kairi, only Marluxia and Larxene knew how to shut it off – and you were their comrade, weren't you? Perhaps you're trying to finish what _they_ started?"

"And I would want to finish their work because . . .?" Axel trailed off, shaking his head. "I am curious to know how you came up with this _brilliant_ deduction."

"It's all there, if you think about it," Demyx shrugged. "You were usually with Marluxia and Larxene; isn't it ironic that you're the only one still alive. Then there's this kid," he jabbed a finger in Roxas's direction. "Who wants to help us, but has been hounded by Namine, Riku and DiZ?"

Axel glared over at Demyx, his expression unchanging. "Is that all?"

"It was him who took Kairi to the Superior and you let him walk right out the front door with her. How long have you been planning something like this though?"

"Wait a minute," Roxas cut in, confused. "I haven't done any –"

Roxas trailed off as Axel's hand fell heavily onto his shoulder, silencing him. Raising an eyebrow, Roxas looked up at him, questions written across his face. Axel just shook his head though, silencing him.

"You really thought this out Demyx," Axel said lazily with a smirk. "You _really_ do deserve whatever credit you get."

Saix's eyes narrowed. "So it was you all along."

Axel smirked, calm as he grabbed Roxas's arm tightly. "I think it's time we left; we've obviously overstayed our welcome."

Saix glared at the red haired enigma, calling forth his broadsword. "Kill them."

Demyx grinned, his Sitar appearing in hand. "This is it Axel, the last of the traitors."

Axel said nothing as the two moved quickly, a few Nobodies appearing from the nothingness. Shaking his head as he watched their movements, Axel brought his hand behind his back, calling forth the darkness. ". . . and this is where we exit, got it memorized?" Pulling Roxas back, the blonde stumbling as the two vanished in the darkness.

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Riku flipped idly through Namine's sketchbook, glancing at the childish pictures littering the pages. He shook his head; it seems Namine truly did look at things from multiple angles. Reaching the last page, he closed it up, silently placing it on the small nightstand.

"You know, you work too hard Namine. It's no wonder you're so tired . . ." he sighed, glancing at the sleeping blonde.

The sketchbook was almost completely full, one childish drawing following the next. A majority of the drawings seemed to be of Sora or the Organization, the odd one depicting someone he didn't know. While other pages were just lines going nowhere – just memory fragments that Namine was trying to piece together.

"Organization XIII. Kairi; the Princess of Heart and Roxas; the second Keyblade Wielder. Just what is going on here, Namine?" Riku mumbled to himself, leaning against the window sill, the Twilight Forest stretching out before them. "I just wish that you'd fill me in," he sighed, glancing over at the blonde.

The blonde's eyebrows came together as she tossed in her sleep, her fingers curling around the sheets. Namine's lips formed soundless words, her legs drawing closer to her body. Riku closed his eyes momentarily, another twisted dream apparently engulfing her.

However, Riku jumped as Namine suddenly woke up, sitting up among all the sheets. "Namine, are you alright?" he asked, her sudden motions catching him off guard.

Namine shook her head wordlessly, throwing the covers away from her body. Ignoring Riku's questioning stare, she pushed herself off the bed, holding her hand out for the sketchbook in Riku's hands. "Something's all wrong."

"What happ–"

Namine sighed, snatching the worn sketchbook from Riku's grasp, turning her back to him. Flipping through the pages, her mind whirling with possibilities, she mumbled quietly to herself, unaware of Riku coming up behind her.

"Something happened within the Organization," she said, stopping on a fragmented drawing, her fingers following a fine line. "It looks like it was a dispute, and . . . Roxas, he's fled the Organization _with_ someone else no less," Namine paused, was it Kairi? "It looks like they are _here_ in Twilight Town somewhere."

"Here?" Riku echoed. "With who though? Who's with him?"

"I'm not sure," Namine shook her head, flipping the pages again. "I would like to believe its Kairi, but the probability is low. It would have to be an Organization Member, but _who_?"

Riku frowned, crossing the room to the large bay windows overlooking Twilight Forest. "If it's not Kairi, hopefully he found something useful to rescuing Kairi."

"Yes, me too," Namine said quickly, closing up the sketchbook.

She glanced momentarily at Riku, letting out a sigh. Riku seemed so caught up with Kairi, that he had overlooked one thing – _who_ was with Roxas? Had the Organization managed to somehow convince Roxas of something? There was no way that Roxas could have been _discovered_ that quickly . . . so why else was Roxas here?

She hated to say it – but maybe they should be prepared for the worst.

"I think that we should go and look," Namine said, smiling. "It looks like they're around the station."

Riku nodded, looking away from window. "I just hope Roxas wasn't followed."

Namine nodded, still holding her notebook as she followed Riku out of the room. "At least if we head them off in the town, things might go over easier. I doubt they would want lots of attention drawn here."

_Unless they plan to end it here . . ._ she thought, but shook her head.

Namine fell silent, trying to think of what kind of motive Organization XIII could have. Sometimes she hated her talent; there were too many options for all these entities to take. Namine shook her head slightly as they reached the main floor, the hardwood floor almost dust-free now. They had planned to leave the dust alone on the first floor, to continue the idea that the old Mansion was abandoned, but with all the comings and goings lately, the dust seemed to disappear. However, the large, ornate front door still let out a creak as Riku opened it.

Silence stretched out between the two as their eyes swept across the unkempt front yard, the crumbling pillars the only thing separating them from the forest. "At least there aren't any Nobodies," Riku said, the tension obvious in his tone as he stopped on the grass.

"It is definitely a good sign," Namine agreed, appearing at his side. "Maybe luck will be on our side this time."

Riku nodded, his eyes still checking their surroundings as he moved forward, his hands in his pockets. Namine watched the silver haired teen's movements as they reached the boundary of the Twilight Forest, the ancient trees surrounding them. She knew that Riku was most likely itching for a fight, his fingers no doubt clasped around his Keyblade's keychain.

"I wonder who it is with Roxas though," Namine frowned, her sketchbook giving her no answers. "Who else would have been in Oblivion –"

". . . Sora." Riku interrupted.

"It's a possibility," Namine said slowly, an unreadable expression on her face as she opened her sketchbook.

Could it _really_ be that simple?

She paused on Sora's page of memory, the lines all connecting. Frowning slightly, Namine followed one of the many lines across the page, aware of Riku's eyes on her. Eventually, she shook her head. "No, it seems that Sora is currently in Hallow Bastion."

Riku sighed, his feet rustling through the fallen leaves. "Who is it then, whose _left_?"

The only options left were Kairi and the Organization. He knew it couldn't be the red-haired Princess; there was no way that she would escape their grasp again. He didn't want to say it aloud, he knew what Namine would think of it – but Roxas had turned on them.

"I just hope we won't need these weapons," he settled on, Tram Common visible through the hole in the wall.

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"Twilight Town," Roxas mumbled, the familiar town stretching out before him. "Wh – How come we're here?"

Axel smirked at him, raising a hand to block out the beating sun. "I know for a fact, that this is Namine's base. Don't deny it, her presence is very noticeable."

Roxas raised an eyebrow, how was it that Axel seemed to notice every little detail? "You avoided my question though; why Twilight Town?"

"I need to see Namine," Axel said bluntly, turning on his heel as he headed away from the Station. "That's why I freed here last year; she's the only one in this little game who knows the truth. Whoever she works for – or _whatever_ her source is – she knows who the Nobodies were before the darkness arrived. I _want_ to know who I was before; I've heard that if the Nobody and the Heartless are reunited, you can return to normal. I want to know the secrets that the Superior is hiding, and that sketchbook of hers is _somehow_ the key," Axel shook his head, finding himself getting off track as the ground sloped beneath his feet. "Since she led you into this mess, you obviously know her location."

Roxas blinked, casting a glance around them. Why did Axel have to talk so loudly, the high school girls at the Ice Cream Shop kept looking in their direction . . .

"Not so loud," Roxas hissed, catching up with him. "You want the whole town to hear you?" – here, Roxas shook his head. – "But, let me get this straight, you freed Namine so she could find out more about all this?"

Axel nodded, stopping suddenly. "Correct. So, where can I find her?"

"You sure you're not going to tell the others?" Roxas asked slowly, his expression guarded.

Axel laughed, shaking his head. "I highly doubt that they'd welcome us back at this rate, got it memorized?"

Roxas nodded slowly, going back there wouldn't be the wisest idea. "She's . . . just outside Tram Common, past the woods. There's an old, decrypt Mansion, but she probably already knows that I'm here with –"

"From the lines of memory, I could easily find you and your companion."

Roxas jumped in surprise, Namine's voice unexpected. "Namine . . . Riku . . ."

"Hello Roxas, Axel," Namine said, unfazed.

Axel, however, smirked as he looked from Roxas to Riku. "I had a feeling it was all a rouse; you two were working together."

Riku remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he brought his hand out of his pocket, the Oblivion Keyblade appearing.

"Riku, no," Namine said loudly, stretching her arm out before him. "I want to hear what he has to say first."

Riku sighed, muttering under his breath as he dropped his arm to his side. Namine rolled her eyes as he didn't call the Keyblade back.

Axel nodded at the blonde, a smile appearing minutely on his features. "Listen, think whatever you want to. But, I'm not with the –"

"Organization? Sure, we believe you," Riku commented, rolling his eyes.

"We all know what you think, Riku," Namine shot him a dark look, holding his gaze. "Now, care to tell me _why_ you aren't with the Organization now?"

Axel shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I figured you'd ask, but do you want to do this here?"

Namine paused, glancing around the Market Square, people pressing in on them as they past by. Frowning, Namine nodded as she mumbled something lowly, her words unheard by the others.

Roxas jumped as the people on the streets grew still, the air silent of bird calls and train whistles. Namine smiled slightly at Roxas's reactions, before glancing back at Axel, hands crossed over her chest. "There, that should hold for a couple minutes. Now, you were saying . . ."

"I shouldn't be amazed by that you do," Axel commented, shaking his head. "I'm sure that you remember Demyx?" Namine nodded; her expression neutral. "Somehow, he managed to pull all the pieces together, and figured out that I was the one who freed you last year. On top of that, he realized that it was Roxas that had came for Kairi previously. I don't quiet know how he figured it out on his own, but if we hadn't made our untimely exit when we did; you would be out one snitch."

Namine smiled, a slight laugh escaping her lips. "And here I was, thinking that he was the dense one." she shook her head, and then fixed Axel with a stern look. "But _why_ did you free me last year? There must be something that you want in return – that's the only reason I've come up with."

"Brillant, as always."

Namine shrugged, flipping through her sketchbook again. "I ask because I can see that you still have one incomplete string and that . . . is what you're striving to find."

Axel sighed. "You know more then you let on, but yes. That is what I want – I know you know the truth about these factors."

"You want to know who you were," Namine said, closing the sketchbook. "Before your real self lost its heart; and if it can be revived."

"So, you do have a heart," Riku mused, making his presence known. "I thought Nobodies didn't have hearts?"

Axel glared over Namine's head, a retort on the tip of his tongue. However, Namine let out an audible sigh, holding her hands up in defense. "Stop it – both of you. Honestly, you can work this out later, just be quiet like Roxas," Namine glared at the two, as if daring them to say something. "Good. Now, to answer your question Axel; yes, I can find out where your other half is, as long as you're ready to except the consequences. It will take me some time though, in the meantime, you will stay with Riku and I at the Twilight Mansion."

"He's staying with us?" Riku broke in. "Why?"

Namine grinned at the silver haired male. "Obviously, he can't return to Organization XIII; therefore, he must be on our side. If either of you have any difference – the Twilight Path incident for one – you will work them out like civilized people. As for you Roxas, you are more then welcome to join us at the Mansion – but I assume Olette and the others will probably want to see you. However, you will have to say goodbye to them again in the future."

Roxas remained silent, the lure of seeing his friends again tempting. "I . . . I'll go with you three."

He could see Olette when everything was over; he didn't want to see her upset again upon his next departure.

"Okay, now that this is over, I suggest we return to the forgotten Mansion," Namine said, turning on her heel. "The time stop will wear off soon, and there's a lot to do now."

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"Tehe, Maleficent, we're back!" Rikku yelled, bounding into the Castle Chapel.

"Rikku," Paine muttered, appearing beside the blonde. "Can't you be quiet?"

Rikku grinned brightly at the Warrior, throwing her arm around her. "Oh, come on Dr. P, lighten up!"

"Don't call me that."

"Is she here?" Yuna asked, the Claymore in hand.

"I don't think so, Yunie," Rikku frowned. "She didn't answer me."

Yuna grinned warily, a ghost of a smile on her features. "That's okay, Rikku, I have a plan." Turning around, Yuna held the Claymore before her, into the endless darkness. "Maleficent? We have the Chip that you asked for."

A spark of green flames appeared making the three sprites jump back in surprise, the ghostly cackle of Maleficent breaking through the silence. "You managed to complete the task," Maleficent said, her silhouette appearing through the darkness.

"There, we did what you wanted!" Rikku huffed, stomping her foot. "Now, return us to normal – and back home!"

Maleficent paused, her cold eyes moving from the Claymore Chip she held to the defiant blonde sprite. "All in good time," she said bluntly, a smirk appearing on her green features. "But there is another task to be completed."

"WHAT?" Rikku yelled, her hands balling into fists. "We had a deal, get the Claymore Chip in order to return home!" With each word, Rikku's voice got louder, the sprite inching closer to Maleficent. "We're not . . . we're not . . . your lackeys . . ." her voice trailed off, Maleficent looming over her.

"Then stay as you are," Maleficent shrugged. "However, should you rid the Worlds of the Keyblade Wielder and the King's lackeys, you shall get what you deserve."

"I can't . . . _kill_ Sora . . ." Yuna whispered, defeated.

"Then forget what you cherish," Maleficent said, indifferent as she called forth an image, a shadowed figure appearing before Yuna. "It's your choice."

". . ." Yuna stared at the shadowed figure, tracing their silhouette. "Fine . . . Sora's gone." she said, defeated.

"Good; fail me, and you'll be like this permanently." Letting out a cackle, Maleficent disappeared within the eerie green flames; leaving the three sprites alone.

"Yunie . . . don't do this," Rikku said quietly, approaching the brunette. "Being like this really isn't all that bad."

Yuna grinned at Rikku words, running a hand underneath her eyes. "It's fine, don't worry about me, Rikku. I have to learn to stand on my own two feet – meet me at the Marketplace. I want to have a chat with that Leon character, if I'm able to." Yuna added, frowning slightly.

"Okay," Rikku chirped, twirling around to face Paine. "Come on Dr. P! Time's a-wasting!" Paine nodded, disappearing in her sphere of light before Rikku could latch on to her. "She's no fun, see you there Yunie!"

Rikku soon disappeared in her own sphere of light, leaving Yuna standing alone in the dark castle, the world weighing down on her shoulders.

How did it end up like this . . .?

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12/16/11

A.N: Large span of gap between chapters; but I've gone back to College to further my education. I write when I can between homework, exams and work – thank goodness for Christmas Break right now.


	14. 14: Downward Spirial

"Where's Axel?" Xaldin's voice echoed through the vast space, his cold eyes surveying the room.

The white circular room was only broken by his companions' black cloaks; however, the majority of the raised seats were empty, their usual occupants deceased. Silence was the only answer he received.

On the opposite side of the room, Saix smirked underneath his hood, it seemed no one had any idea of what had been going on as of lately. "He won't be coming – it seems that _he_ was our little traitor."

"I thought it was decided that that was all Marluxia and Larxene's doing," Xaldin glared, glancing over at the hooded figure. "Weren't you positive it was them as well?"

"It seems he's trying to finish what they started, it also turns out he was the one who freed Namine during all the commotion last year. No doubt he's working with her now, that girl knows more than she should." Demyx spoke up, covering Saix's silence.

"Do tell, how did you figure this out?"

Saix rolled his eyes, annoyed as he looked over at Demyx. "If only you hadn't spoken early, Axel would still be here _and_ then we could have rid ourselves of him a lot earlier."

Demyx shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I don't remember asking your opinion."

"Get to the point," Xaldin drawled.

"The point is: Axel is the traitor," Saix said, cutting in before Demyx could launch into a story.

"He was the only one here who was remotely close to Marluxia and Larxene; both who knew how to turn off the Watcher System Vexen had created. It is rather ironic that after they were defeated, Namine went free. Then, before we know it, he came across Kairi, throwing the Princess into Darkness – to which he let me take the credit, and then allow the _Second_ Keyblade Wielder of the Light to whisk her away," Demyx added, the pieces coming together as he spoke. "The next thing we know, Axel is back with not only the Princess of Heart, but the Keyblade Wielder as well, it all seemed a little too easy if you ask me. He must have been in cahoots with Namine and the Wielder; why else would he suddenly be on our side? No doubt about it – Axel plans to finish what Marluxia started."

Xaldin frowned, mulling over Demyx's words. "So, it comes down to this; Axel has finally shown his true motives."

"You knew all along?" Saix growled, his eyes narrowing at Xaldin.

Xaldin shrugged, holding Saix's gaze. "After Marluxia's demise, I was placed in charge of Castle Oblivion and I'm Second in Command," he said evenly, coldness to his calculated words. "I know what Axel is after, he is searching for his true self; he doesn't like being a Nobody. When that Namine was here, it's plain to see that she toyed with his thoughts, dangling the unknown before him. He let the seed of confusion grow until it was all that he could think about."

Demyx bit his lip, glancing at Axel's empty chair. "Namine . . . it seems she was more trouble then she was worth."

"Since Axel still has control over the darkness, it is only a matter of time before he uses it," Xaldin stated, his voice booming through the empty space. "He won't think we will be watching the darkness in lieu of everything else currently running awry. That will be easiest way to rid ourselves of him."

"And then we kill him," Demyx said, leaning back in his chair.

"And _**anyone**_ with him."

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"What do you think Yunie has planned?" Rikku asked, the Marketplace stretching out before them.

"I wouldn't know," Paine said; her tone monotone. "Ask her when she returns."

"I will!" Rikku said defiantly, flopping down onto the stone ledge overlooking the cliff to the old Castle. Sighing, she propped her chin up in her palms, swinging her legs back and forth as she looked out over the empty expanse. The Castle still gave off an evil vibe, sending a shiver down Rikku's spine. "What _are_ we going to do about Sora and the others, though? We can't really fight them . . ."

Paine remained silent.

"Hey, you're those sprites aren't you?"

Rikku and Paine jumped at the cheerful voice, having let their guard down. Paine rolled her eyes, her expression unreadable. Getting caught had always meant certain death in the Crimson Squad. Rikku, on the other hand, let out an awkward laugh, her wings fluttering restlessly.

"I really need that Claymore Chip . . . it's really important. You've had your little joke, so please, can I have it back? It's important to helping the city . . ."

"Who are you?" Rikku chirped, turning on her heel with a flourish, circling the newcomer.

Paine sighed, picking herself up off the ledge; when Rikku got like this, she tended to dig them into a bigger hole.

"You should do something new with your hair," Rikku quipped, before Aeris could answer the first question. "I mean ponytails are so last year – I have long hair too, but look what I've done!" – here, Rikku struck a pose – "I could totally whip up something!"

"Rikku –"

"Oh yeah," Rikku stopped twirling around, smiling sheepishly at Paine. "I'm Rikku, that's Paine and, then there's Yunie, but she went to see that Leon guy."

"Leon?" Aeris echoed. "What about?"

Rikku shrugged, nonchalant. "I'm not sure, she told us to wait here. Who're you?"

"Me? I'm Aeris," She smiled at them. "I was just on my way back; Leon and I live in the same place. You can wait for – ah – _Yunie_ there."

Rikku giggled, hiding it behind her hands, causing Aeris to raise an eyebrow. "Her name's Yuna, only Rikku calls her Yunie," Paine said, warily watching Aeris.

Aeris nodded, letting the conversation fall away. She got the vibe from Paine that told her to mind her own business. "Well, you two decide what you want to do," Aeris said instead, picking up her flower basket.

Rikku grinned, floating after Aeris. "So . . . is Leon your _boyfriend_?"

Aeris blushed, shaking her head. "No, no, Leon's just a close friend. We live with about five other people, although a majority of them seem to spend their time down at the old Castle now-a-days."

Rikku grinned. "Alone at the Castle . . . I know what they're doing!"

Aeris paused, a blush creeping onto her features. "What are they doing?" Did she _really_ want to know?

Paine shook her head, hitting Rikku on the head. "All they ever do is the study the books in the library."

Aeris smiled, letting out a light laugh. "That sounds something they would do, I wouldn't expect anything less. Now, that's our house there – just don't steal anything," Aeris warned, pointing towards the stone house in the far corner.

Yuna smiled as she found the small house with relative ease, her wings lowering her down. She idly wondered how many times she was going to have to enter uninvited into the house. She shook her head though, at least this time she wasn't there to steal anything.

Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts – she had to stay focused on the end goal – she reached for the doorknob, turning it. At this stage of the game; what was the point of knocking?

"Leon!" Yuna called, flying into the house, her bi-coloured eyes scanning the room, her eyes falling on two figures in the corner. "Oh, hi, sorry to interrupt you, is Leon around?"

She clasped her hands in front of her, bowing slightly at Cid and Merlin, the two looking at some sort of blueprint littering the table. Inwardly, she cursed herself, wasn't the blonde one the creator of the Claymore Chip? Luck just didn't seem to agree with her . . .

"Why do you want to see him?" Cid drawled, narrowing his eyes as he took a drag on his cigarette. "Ain't you one of those sprites that stole the Claymores . . .?"

Yuna nodded, her face flushing from the embarrassment. "I did. I'm sorry though . . . I had no choice."

Merlin stared critically at Yuna, silently watching the exchange. "That's strong magic," he said suddenly, making his way around the table. "It would take some time to break that."

Yuna blinked, dumbfounded. He _knew_? "That is correct," she said, nodding at the wizard. "But, I need to speak to Leon."

"We told you girl, you can't see him."

"It's alright," Leon's voice sounded, the gunblader appearing on the staircase. "I doubt she'll do anything this time."

Yuna nodded, bowing slightly to him. "Thanks, this won't take long."

Leon nodded, starting back up the stairs without another word. Yuna raised an eyebrow at his silence, but shrugged it off, following after him. She cast a glance back at the white haired wizard as she reached the bottom of the stairs – maybe there was another option besides Maleficent . . .

"Is she really under a spell?" Cid commented, glancing at the blueprints.

Merlin nodded; his eyes still on the empty staircase. "It's a strong one too."

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"What's so important that you would come here?" Leon asked, jumping to the point as he reached the top of the stairs. "Brave move."

Yuna shook her head, shrugging. "This is more important – Maleficent is still alive."

Leon looked at her, his expression unreadable as he took in her words. "Maleficent died two years ago. Sora killed her."

"Maybe he did," Yuna shrugged. "But, she's here. That's why the Claymore –" Yuna trailed off, dropping her gaze to the ground. "There's a reason why we targeted it . . ."

Leon raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"Maleficent found us when our world fell to the darkness. She saved us – at the expense that we would do whatever it is she asked for. She told us that Hallow Bastion had once belonged to her and that the Claymore Chip was hindering her plan to return to her rightful place within the Castle. We didn't really have a choice; we were attached to the contract we had already formed. I'm terribly sorry for all the hassle we caused; perhaps, it would have been better had Maleficent never found us . . ."

"I suppose its fine," Leon said at length, running a hand over his features. "However, if what you say is true, getting that Chip back is going to be difficult."

"We can get it back for you; she's located in the Castle's Chapel. Her end of the deal was to return us to normal after we got the Chip; however, now she wants us to do something else – _kill_ Sora."

Leon's eyes flashed. "Sora isn't here."

Yuna sighed, wringing her hands together as she glanced out the window behind Leon. "Maleficent could sense that he was nearby, he's here in Hallow Bastion somewhere – or he will be soon."

Leon sighed, closing his eyes. "Maleficent's returned and, Sora's back . . . Yuffie must have contacted him."

He cursed the black haired ninja, always throwing a wrench into the mix. His mind whirled, trying to figure out where the energetic ninja would have gone. Could she have known about Maleficent and contacted Sora? She really needed to learn to mind her own business and leave everything to the adults.

"Do you mean the girl that was chasing us?" Yuna asked, cutting into Leon's thoughts. "She was following us at the Castle, but she didn't have anyone with her."

Leon nodded, shaking his head. It always came back to Yuffie, the ninja doing whatever you told her not to. Not only had she possibly put herself in the line of danger, but she had brought Sora into the mess as well.

"I'll make a deal with you," Leon said at length, his options sparse. "You lead me to where Maleficent is; no doubt that is where Yuffie is heading. You will help us defeat Maleficent and then I will get Merlin to break this spell on you and return you to your world."

Yuna blinked, surprised. "You'd do that?"

Leon nodded, expressionless. "Only if you help us out; no more, no less, no strings attached."

Yuna bowed once again, her wings beating in time in with her excitement. "Thank you so much Leon. I just have to get Rikku and Paine and we can get going."

"We're right here, Yunie!" Rikku chirped, appearing atop of the staircase, quickly latching herself to the brunette. "I agree to the contract as well! Pop and Gippal will kill me for being gone this long!" She laughed, shaking her head as she spoke rapidly in Al Bhed.

Yuna blinked, surprise etched across her features at Rikku's arrival, Paine not far behind her. "How'd you get here?"

"Aeris brought us here." Paine said with a shrug, settling on the windowsill.

Rikku's chatter died off then, the bobbles in her hair clanging together as she whirled around to face Leon. She looked intently at the gunblader, fluttering closer to him, taking everything in. "So . . . you're Leon, tell me, do you like her?" She paused in front of him, placing her hands on her hips. "Why else would you live in the same house?"

"Rikku . . . what are you talking about?" Yuna asked quietly.

"Aeris and I?" Leon echoed, eyebrows coming together. "I've known her since I was seven, she's like a sister."

"So?" Rikku quipped, shrugging. "Gippal used to think I was his sister, that didn't stop us though."

"Oh good, you haven't left yet," came Aeris voice, the flower girl standing at the bottom of the staircase. "I was hoping I wouldn't miss you."

"What's that you got there?" Leon said, noticing Aeris had something clasped behind her back.

Aeris let out a tiny laugh, bringing the item out before her with a flourish. In her hands, she held a silver rod, a green-hued ball attached to the top, blue wings sprouting out of it. "I asked Cid and Merlin to make this for me; it only has healing abilities, but it's a start."

"When did you get something like that?" He hardly remembered her interested in anything except her small flower shop.

"After the Heartless Invasion last month," she shrugged. "I didn't like having to rely on others, I can handle myself."

Leon sighed, running a hand over his face. He knew what Aeris was aiming for. "You're not coming with us."

Aeris glared at him, placing her hands on her hips, blocking the end of the stairs as he approached. "You can't tell me that, I've gone every other time, I hardly see how this is any different."

Leon shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That was different, this is more dangerous," he held the flowers girls' gaze, effortlessly moving her aside. "Maleficent is back, you know what that means. Do you _want_ to die?"

"You'll need a healer," Aeris quipped, brushing away his hand. "But I _am_ going. I heard what you said, Yuffie's in there. I'm her sister – I'm supposed to protect her."

"You're not sisters; her parents just adopted you." Leon said, brushing past her. "I'll bring her back, you know that."

Aeris glared at him, her grip tightening around her weapon. "Shut up Leon, whether you like it or not – I'm going. Let's go." Turning on her heel, Aeris brushed past Leon without another look, heading for the door.

Yuna shook her head. "You definitely have your hands full."

"You sure blew that, no wonder you two aren't together!" Rikku mumbled, throwing her hands up.

Leon glanced at the two sprites, but without another word, followed after Aeris.

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Namine sat silently at the White Room in the Mansion, the large table taking up a majority of the room. Her sketchbook lay open on the table before her, the blonde sighing now and again as she flipped the pages back and forth. Every once and while she'd mumble something under her breath, more pages fluttering from the different piles littered throughout the room into her hands.

Axel, Roxas and, Riku sat around the table, various expressions on the features as they watched the Memory Witch work.

"Have you managed to find anything?" Axel asked after a while, tired of Namine mumbling to herself.

Namine shook her head, briefly looking up. "Nothing," she sighed, trying to smile at him. "Your memory lines are very jumbled together; it's hard to make some of it out. It seems that I have to work backwards to find your true self. However, your Heartless half is still beyond my reach."

Axel nodded, letting out a sigh. "I'm going to walk around for a while," he said, pushing back his chair.

Namine nodded, cringing at the scraping sound of the chair on the flooring. "Just don't do anything irrational – and avoid the town at all costs. I imagine that Olette and the others would remember you."

"You got it," Axel said, waving slightly as he left the room.

Namine glanced at the door as it shut behind Axel, the slight noise echoing through the empty Mansion. "Don't do anything rash, alright?" she asked, smiling slightly as she looked over at Riku.

Riku grinned, already out of his chair. "As if I'd ever do that Namine," he laughed, ruffling her hair as he walked by.

Namine frowned, her hands flying to her hair as she tried to flatten the mess. Roxas glanced at Namine, a slight smile on his features at the normal girl behavior Namine was exhibiting. He shook his head as the door closed behind Riku; he could only imagine what was on the silver haired teen's mind.

"Do you think they'll try to go at each other again?" he asked quietly, leaning back in the chair. 'They've been _almost_ civil for twenty-four hours."

Namine laughed, her hands falling back to the table, resting over the worn sketchbook. "Maybe you should go after them to try and stop them? I'll be fine here on my own."

Roxas nodded, sensing a dismal in Namine's words. Pushing his chair back as well, Roxas slowly stood up, heading towards the door. He glanced back at Namine as his hand fell onto the doorknob; however, the blonde had already turned her attention back to the sketchbook.

Namine paused as the door closed quietly behind Roxas. Glancing up through her bangs to see if the room was indeed empty, she sighed, leaning back in her chair. Closing her eyes momentarily, she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to will what she had learned away.

When searching through the strings of Axel's memories, she had come across a rather startling piece of information: the darkness was starting to come together at a rapid pace; the final fight was looming overhead.

In her mind though, it couldn't have come at a worse time. She wasn't prepared for the final battle, everyone was still too scattered . . . there were too many mysteries still shrouded within the darkness.

"Why now . . ." she mumbled, it felt like everything she had successfully built up was starting to turn to ruin.

Shaking her head, she closed the sketchbook up; she had more pressing thoughts to deal with. For the time being, Axel's past would just have to wait a little while longer. Picking up the sketchbook, she placed it under her arm, as she too pulled away from the table, leaving the White Room in darkness as she turned the light off.

_He_ was here, she could feel his presence.

Glancing around the empty corridor – she could hear the distant voices of Axel and Riku on the main level, yelling at one another. She shook her head; maybe if Roxas was there, it would stop the two from destroying one another. Her footsteps sounded against the old hardwood floors, the floors protesting the weight every once and a while; at least, she knew she wouldn't be heard over the ruckus downstairs.

"What have you done, DiZ?" she mumbled, reaching a door at the end of the corridor. "You're no longer . . . with us, are you?"

Namine quietly closed the door behind her, leaning back against it. The walls were hidden behind crammed bookshelves, a small table situated in the middle of the room; a rectangular carpet underneath it. Crossing the room quickly, Namine easily found the switch behind one of the bookshelves, the floor beside the carpet giving way to a hidden staircase.

"I know you're here," Namine said confidently as she descended the metal staircase, darkness waiting for her. "I'm tired of these little games, DiZ."

"Very perspective of you, Namine," DiZ's voice drawled, the red cloaked figure appearing beyond the staircase. "I knew he shouldn't have given you that sketchbook; you're way too nosy for your own good."

Namine shrugged, anger etched on her features as she reached the bottom of the staircase. Above her, the trap door closing off the hidden space, and after a moment of darkness, fluorescent strips of light lining the wall came to life. "I have a right to know what's going on in my area."

"What I do is none of your business, Namine. I could rid myself of you now, and no one would even know." DiZ's voice reverberated off the metallic walls, making his voice more commanding.

Namine glared at him, holding her ground. "I knew that you couldn't be trusted, the Memory Strings all proved that you would double cross us," Namine shook her head, her eyes never leaving his still frame. "Watching Twilight Town is _my_ job; you're supposed to be watching the borders and pinpoint Organization XIII's movements and uncover any sort of pattern."

DiZ shrugged. "Alas, doing that for the past year and a half has been _extremely_ fun."

Namine glared at him. "You don't honestly think I _enjoyed_ last year, did you? I had to agree to get kidnapped by Organization XIII, mess with everyone's memory strings and then _barely_ escape? They wanted me dead because I ran!"

"Then you should have stayed where you were."

"Sora would have died. I had already dug too far into his memories; if I had gone any further I would have untied the Memory Core. That's _all _that was keeping Sora together," Namine shook her head, dispelling the thought. "Untying that would have killed him."

"That's what the Second Wielder was chosen for," DiZ said, not missing a beat. "He was made to replace Sora when you killed him. We have no need for two of them."

"I'm not a murderer," Namine said, eyes narrowing. "Would _you_ have killed him? Sora did so much for our Worlds; I wouldn't untie that string – that's going too far. Rearranging it might not kill him, be he would _never_ return to the way he was before."

"Would that have been so bad?" DiZ challenged. "You did destroy the purpose Roxas was created for. We have no need for two Keyblade Wielders of the Light."

"Stop it DiZ," Namine shouted. "Both Sora and Roxas can be of use to us; with two Wielders we will be able to conquer both the Heartless and the Nobodies."

Namine kept her eyes trained on DiZ, her hands balling her into fists as she waited for some kind of reaction from him. She wasn't going to back down to him; he wasn't going to control her through fear or power he thought he had.

"Are we done here?" DiZ asked, the silence stretching on.

"We are," Namine said, not moving. "Why he said you were on our side, I'll never know. I knew that you couldn't be trusted."

She sighed as she felt the disappearance of DiZ's presence, the Mansion's aura returning to normal. Shaking her head, Namine flopped down onto the metal staircase, holding her head in her hands.

The Final Battle was looming overhead . . .

The pieces were scattered throughout different Worlds . . .

And now DiZ wasn't with them.

If things continued like this . . . she didn't want to think about it.

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"Ansem's Study?" Sora muttered, looking at the double set of doors before them.

Yuffie nodded, nonchalant. "This has to be it. I heard those sprites talking on the Postern; this is the only clear path. All the other corridors are blocked; we've been trying to slowly excavate the Castle."

Sora nodded slowly at Yuffie's words, a frown appearing as he mulled over her words. "But, this way only leads to Tron's World and . . ."

"The Manufactory District of the Heartless . . ." Yuffie trailed off, grinning as the overlooked place came to mind.

"Hyuck, do you really think that Maleficent is back there?" Goofy questioned, pausing behind the two.

"I think so!" Yuffie chirped, looking over her shoulder at Goofy, grinning widely. "We've never really paid much attention to that place as it's been abandoned for years. I suppose there could be something in the far depths of it, a hidden room, or passageway, something like that."

"You actually sounded like you knew what you were talking about Yuffie," Sora chuckled, effectively ducking the punch that came his way moments later.

"Alright, let's get going," Donald quacked, annoyed.

Suddenly serious, Sora nodded, turning his attention to the door. He frowned as he tried to handle, the heavy door not budging. Yuffie let out a laugh behind Sora, quipping that the door needed a females' touch as she joined him at the door.

"See, told you," Yuffie chirped, the door giving way under their combined weight.

The door opened before them, sending the two of them toppling to the ground. Sora cringed as the door collided with the wall. Donald and Goofy stood behind the two; Goofy's chuckle reaching his ears, drowning out Donald's annoyed words.

"Hmm, it looks like we have some visitors."

Sora paused, the unfamiliar voice reaching his ears. Blinking, he noticed a pair of black shoes in his line of view. "Who . . .?" He glanced up, a black clad brunette – with a look of surprise on her face – looking down at him.

"Oh hey!" Yuffie shouted, having fallen on top of Sora. "If it isn't Tifa, so this is where you've been hanging out," Yuffie pushed herself off Sora, the brunette groaning as Yuffie pushed him down again. "Oh, and Cloud's here too? Say, _what_ have you two been doing down here . . . all alone?"

Cloud looked up from the article he was reading, his expression unreadable. It seems Yuffie was still immature; how did Aeris and Leon deal with her all the time? "I see you haven't changed," he grumbled, returning his attention to the article in hand.

"I see you haven't either," Yuffie said dryly, rolling her eyes. "I mean really, we're off fighting the Heartless in town and you're here _reading_?"

"Yuffie," Tifa warned, shooting the ninja a look. "There are reasons why were here, Ansem had done some theories and experiments before the chaos erupted."

"Right," Yuffie said slowly. "And it had nothing to do with you two wanting to be alone."

Tifa sighed, pushing her long hair back as she closed the door behind Donald and Goofy. "Believe whatever you want too; everyone knows that you tend to exaggerate."

"Aeris will believe me – we're sisters," Yuffie said, shrugging off Tifa's words.

"Aeris will believe you because she'll give you the benefit of the doubt; she's such a romantic." Tifa corrected.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Cloud asked, looking up from the papers scattered across the desk. "I thought Leon told you _not_ to come here."

"Squall isn't the boss of me! I'll do whatever I want." Yuffie yelled, hands on her hips. "I was following the trail of these sprites, have you seen them? They stole Cid's Claymores –"

"Bet he had a fit," Tifa laughed.

Yuffie nodded energetically. "Well, I followed them here; they mentioned something about Maleficent and her return. Well, naturally, that meant that I had to get in contact with Sora. He's the only one who knows how to beat her."

Cloud's eyes flickered from Yuffie to Sora. "Maleficent isn't here, we haven't seen her," he sighed, returning his attention to Yuffie, holding her gaze. "Those sprites probably knew that you were there and decided to fool around with you. When are you going to learn to think before you act?"

Sora frowned at Cloud's words; the two had never really gotten along after their matches in the Coliseum's Stadium. "Well, I might check around here, anyways. Yuffie came up with an idea that I had overlooked," Sora explained, trying to say something to rival Clouds criticism.

"Exactly," Yuffie nodded, smirking at Cloud. "Sora understands me."

Grinning, Yuffie followed after Sora, she _had_ to know if she was right. Maybe then they would treat her like an adult. In front of her, Sora paused as he reached the doors leading to the Computer Room, noticing Yuffie behind him.

"Yuffie, wait here okay?"

"Sora!" Yuffie whined, balling her hands into fists. There was no way Sora was treating her like Leon and the others did. "No way, I'm going too!"

Sora shook his head, motioning to Donald and Goofy to follow. "Maleficent is really hard," he said, flashing Yuffie a grin. "Only the Keyblade stands a chance – your Shuriken will just bounce off. Hmm, watch her for me?"

Tifa grinned, placing a hand on Yuffie's shoulders. "We'll call Leon to come get her."

"WHAT?" Yuffie yelled, drowning out Cloud's laugh. "Don't you _dare_ call him – he's not my babysitter!" She grumbled, knocking Tifa's hand off her shoulder.

Sora tried to hide his smile, waving over his shoulder at Yuffie. "Bye Yuffie, I'll be back before you know it. C'mon guys!"

Donald and Goofy nodded, grabbing their weapons tightly, following after Sora.

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Demyx smirked as he reached the landing of the Seventh Floor, his mind moving rapidly from one thought to another. It seemed that everything was starting to come together; Axel had shown his true colours departing for Namine's side – the blonde witch obviously still a key player in the events at hand – and that Keyblade Wielder would be there as well. All they had to do was wait for Axel to call forth the darkness and then all three of them could be killed in one sweep.

It wasn't like _anyone_ would miss the three Nobodies anyway . . .

"I hope I'm the one that finds them," Demyx muttered, his mind wandering to what he would do if that did indeed happen.

He shook the thoughts from his head though, he had to focus on the task at hand – he could worry about Axel later. He glanced up at the white door at the end of the empty hallway; Kairi was all that mattered now.

As long as the Princess continued to sleep, slipping further from her friends' grasp time crept by . . .

"He probably meant to take her with him," Demyx mumbled, stopping before the door, his footsteps muted by the carpet. He sighed, turning the door handle, pushing the door open. "Why else would he leave a little light left in your . . . heart?"

He paused, his eyes widening at the lit up room.

The room still looked untouched; however, the bed was _empty_.

Just like that, Kairi was gone.

Taking in his surroundings, he shook his head; this had to be a trick. There was no way that Kairi could escape, an hour ago she was still unconscious.

"Where could you have run off to, dear Kairi?" He muttered, looking around the room again.

Surely, he was overlooking something.

Venturing further into the room, he noticed that the bed sheets were perfect, the only indent being where she had been sleeping. Her pink shoes still sat at the end of the bed; meaning that she couldn't have gone too far.

It was then that he noticed it, a piece of paper lying on the bed, almost blending in with the sheets.

_Heartless to Heartless_, it read.

He raised an eyebrow at that; what was that supposed to mean?

His eyebrows raised as he reread the note, squinting at the miniscule writing. _Heartless to Heartless_ . . .? He grumbled incoherently under his breath, crunching the paper in his fist.

Thinking it over, the riddle could reveal who was behind it.

"Maleficent," he seethed, turning on his heel. He had to inform the others of the breach; their key had been stolen right out from under them. "Wretched Witch, trying to defeat us at our own game . . ."

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Cool, piercing black eyes peered through the darkness at the figure that was leaning against the machinery opposite her. She narrowed her eyes at the pink clad girl, this Princess the fixation of so many people. Frowning at the still figure, she crossed the Chapel floor – her feet and staff hitting the floor the only sounds present – she found herself thinking of the last Princess that escaped her grasp. While Aurora might have found her _Happily Ever After_, this Princess wasn't going to achieve that.

Above her, a crow let out a caw as it flew through one of the broken stain glass windows; the caw a message to the dark figure. Pausing, she looked up at the crow, circling overhead before returning her attention to girl before her.

Maleficent smirked as she stood over Kairi, the red heads blue eyes glazed over, unseeing. "It seems they couldn't even throw you into the darkness correctly," she mused, her voice echoing through the empty Chapel. "Even from here, that precious light of yours is still managing to shine through. Your little Wielder must be in the area . . . how _devastated_ he finds out that the holder of his heart," Unable to hold back the delight that appeared on her features, Maleficent brought a hand out from under her cloak, placing it on Kairi's chest. "Has been thrown into the darkness and is unable to return."

Mumbling under her breath, Maleficent could see the shreds of darkness that lurked within the deep recesses of the Chapel being drawn to them, disappearing into the unconscious Princess. Maleficent let out a loud laugh as the light within the Princess dimmed before suddenly, disappearing.

"It is done," she said, fluidly standing up, the crow descending to perch on her shoulder.

She didn't cast a glance at the crow, as she watched Kairi intently. Slowly, Kairi's eyes started to close, giving into the darkness circling her heart.

"Your burden is gone, Princess. You no longer have to deal with a broken heart via the Keyblade Master; Sora." Maleficent took a step back, allowing the darkness to swallow her, leaving Kairi alone in the middle of the room, her conscious starting to return to her. "I want you to finish what those sprites couldn't – kill the Keyblade Master and anyone who should get in your way."

Maleficent watched from the shadows as Kairi stirred, her fingers twitching as she came too. Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes, blinking away the endless sleep as she took notice of her surroundings, running a hand underneath her eyes. Slowly, Kairi brought her legs up to her body, pushing herself off the cold floor, as if testing her balance.

As if remembering what Maleficent had said, those words being the last she remembered, Kairi pushed away from the console she was leaning against, closing her eyes momentarily.

_I can do this_, she thought, focusing on what she had to do.

From the shadows, Maleficent smirked, watching Kairi's actions, all of this reminding her of the events two years ago. How easy it had been to ensnare Riku within the darkness, the silver haired youth hardly putting up any challenge to the reality she had portrayed to him.

Kairi opened her eyes as something heavy fell into her hands. Smiling, Kairi brought her hand up, a black Keyblade materializing in her hand.

"Don't disappoint me now, Princess . . ."

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12/20/11


End file.
